I think there is a lot to be discovered about self organization, itinerant communities, illegal and informal activities and much more from the Jackson Square community. There is much good and maybe some bad to this place no doubt, and the more that city officials, police and nearby businesses and residents understand it and specifically understand how the space works (or doesn’t) with new groups taking control at different times of day and events, the better.
Jackson Square artists
Category Archives: History
The Irish and Italians are at it again…
Friday, March 14, 2014
Molly’s at the Market Irish Parade -6:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Irish Channel Parade – 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Italian-American St.Joseph’s Parade – 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Metairie Rd. – 12 Noon
Monday, March 17, 2014
Downtown Irish Club Parade – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade (Metairie) – 12 Noon
Sunday, April 6, 2014
St.Bernard Irish-Italian Islenos Parade – 11 a.m.
so you probably know about St. Pat’s but may not know about New Orleans’ connection with St. Joseph’s Day:
March 19th marks the Catholic celebration of St. Josephs Day where Catholic New Orleanians construct elaborate altars in honor of this saint. The tradition, commemorating the relief St. Joseph provided during a famine in Sicily, began in the late 1800’s when Sicilian immigrants settled in New Orleans. Today, St. Joseph’s day is not just for Italian-Americans. Every year, this celebration offers New Orleans natives and visitors a chance to share food with others and for believers, a way to express gratitude for any sort of fortune in their lives.
St. Joseph altars, representing the Holy Trinity, are divided into three sections with a statue of St. Joseph at the head. The devout place candles, figurines, flowers, medals and other items around the alter creating a beautiful, lush and overflowing effect. Since the altars thank St. Joseph for relieving hunger, offerings of food are essential.
2014 parade routes
Here is the 2013 Times Picayune altar list which will be similar for 2014. However, do check online at nola.com for the updated list before heading out!
Italian-American Marching Club presents its queen ahead of parade.
Spanish Quarter 1763-1800
Feb 10 marks the anniversary of the Spanish takeover of the colony until 1803. This led to Spanish style architecture in the “French” Quarter, since the two great fires (1788 and 1794) happened during their regime. As a descendant of Portuguese settlers (via the Canary Islands) to southern Louisiana, I represent that history.
From The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Facebook page.
Dispatches From New Orleans, Vol. 3: A Literary Interlude Starring William Faulkner and Vince Carter – The Triangle Blog – Grantland
An excellent trip through the remaining bookstores of the Quarter and its people and oddities. I’d keep this column as a reference if I were you…Although, his worry about being judged by the booksellers of the Quarter when browsing or buying is entirely unwarranted. If anyone cares less about your preferences than the people of the Quarter, I don’t know who they are.
Rembert Browne (@rembert) is a staff writer for Grantland.
200 years in one book
My pal Dr. Nancy Dixon has just released her amazing anthology of New Orleans literature with fascinating historical and literary introductions by herself.
The reason this book was undertaken by this busy university professor was that the lack of a current anthology hampered her teaching and limited regular folks’ access to the treasure trove of authors that have written about our beloved city. I agree; if this had been around when I was a lit-hungry teenager roaming the Quarter, I could have expanded my knowledge of good writing and my own city so much more and probably reduced the petty crime/nuisance levels around Jackson Square for a few specific years.
From the first play performed in the city, to the details on the Creoles of color and the Los Isleños community, all the way to current writers, (she did stop before 2005 which makes me hope for her post 2005-levee break anthology to come along later), Dr. Dixon gives you a sweet sampling of great writers and/or great pieces to pick up at your leisure. Read a few and then to go to your local dusty used bookstore to dive deeper into those works that appeal to you.
Author Nancy Dixon and me at one of her first public book signings for N.O. Lit: 200 years of New Orleans Literature
great local bookstores have it in stock:
http://www.octaviabooks.com/event/nancy-dixon-no-lit
or buy it directly from the publisher and get it inscribed:
French Quarter block by block 
You must be logged in to post a comment.