My favorite pic from the evening. Read on to find out what we were doing sitting on the curb.

Yeah.  I bet that title’s going to get me a lot of hits.  It’s like those themes you’d be asked to write on the first day of school. (Does anyone use that term “theme” anymore?  I don’t think they were even using it when I was in school!)  I don’t think I ever had to write a summer vacation essay.  Maybe they’d gotten more creative by the time I was in middle school.  It was the wacky, loosey-goosey seventies.  Oooh – maybe I’ll write about it for Story Saturday.  I have lots of wacky memories from middle school of bizarre curriculum choices.

Anyway, while I was away from Blog Land, one of the premiere summer events in New Orleans happened – White Linen Night.  Someone came up with this fabulous marketing idea perhaps ten or twelve years ago or so – to have the first Saturday in August (NOLA galleries have openings every first Saturday of the month) designated as White Linen Night.  People wear white and stroll along Julia Street, the main gallery street in the Warehouse District, and stop and enjoy the artwork and maybe hear live music or have a refreshing drink or tasty bite to eat.

Well, let me tell you.  The event has grown.  It’s HUGE!  I’ve never seen so many people in white in one place.  Let me show you:

Elizabeth and soup.

I went with my friend Elizabeth and we did manage to eat yummy food, look at art, and enjoy some delicious mint/lemonade/vodka drinks.  Mmm.  We sat on the curb (photo above), kicked off our shoes, and sipped incredible white gaspacho made with turnips and grapes and accented with dijon ice cream.   Sounds crazy but it was divine.

New Orleans is a small enough town that I always run into people I know at events like these.  Former students or their parents, neighbors, former co-workers, etc. etc. The best “run ins” are teachers I worked with during their first year in the classroom.  I love hearing how they’re doing, and about their success stories with students.

The moon rose over Emeril’s . . . see it?

And street performers promoting a play done with giant puppets entertained the crowds.

Oh, and then there was Santa.  Santa, you ask?  Well, Santa was promoting an event coming up in December – the running of the Santas.  I asked – is this different than the Drunken Santas?  As I’ve already seen that group of about 50 Santas who go from bar to bar one night in December.  Apparently it is different.  So in New Orleans we are proud to have at least two distinct Santa pub crawl events.  And I would lay money on there being more than that.  Never a dull moment here, I tell you.

And the galleries.  They were full of people and art.  Gorgeous wetlands,  close up oils of giant blue crabs, atmospheric wispy works and striking bright color-saturated pieces.  And some kind of performance art protest.  Lots of people carrying signs that either said, “I’m for it” or “I’m against it.”

I love the landscape on the left – the clouds, the lone trees – I would like to make art like that!  Oh and the realistic crab on the right – so cool. I’m a sucker for realism. Maybe someday I’ll take an oil class.

So what do you think – White Linen Night?  For it or Against it?

Oh, and I haven’t mentioned Dirty Linen Night – the following Saturday the galleries on Royal Street encourage you to come to the Quarter in your wrinkled linen and enjoy their art openings . . .