ARCADE MARCii 31. 2016 9 Festival season kicks off with local bites

Louisiana Crawfish Festival Freret Street Festival Brunch Fest NOLA BY RAPHAEL HELFAND Hogs For the Cause BY MICHAEL OSSORGUINE BY TAYLOR DEMULLING CONTRIBUTING REPORTER STAFF REPORTER ASSOCIATE ARCADE EDITOR BY LAURA ROSTAD Head downriver to Chalmette in St. PRINT ARCADE EDITOR BY BEN SHOOTER A Sunday without brunch is like Bernard's Parish for the 40th annual Loui- ASSOCIATE ARCADE EDITOR a Bloody Mary without celery. Enter siana Crawfish Festival, which runs Thurs- 1his year's eighth annual Hogs for the Brunch Fest NOLA, which combines day to Sunday. Less than half an hour out- Cause will transform City Park into a bar- If you're searching for authentic New all the above and benefits the Louisiana side the city and just $5 a ticket, the fes ti val becue and music festival in order to raise Orleans crafts, some great food vendors, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to is an easy way to get out of money for pediatric brain cancer. Gates or a place to listen to live outdoor jazz, Animals. Brunch Fest will also feature for the day and experience what the rest of open at 3 p.m. on Friday and 11 p.m. on soul and funk music on a Saturday af- live music from the Messy Cookers Jazz Louisiana has to offer. Satisfy your craving Saturday. Any pork-lover can register ternoon, you don't need to venture too Band, Shades of Praise Gospel Choir and for traditional boiled crawfish with all the their team to participate in the barbecue far from campus. Head over to the Freret Kinfolk Brass Band. The free event runs "fixins:' or try out other crawfish-based cook-off, selling food to raise money and Street Festival on 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. from 10 am. to 3 p.m. Sunday and will dishes like crawfish bread, crawfish pasta, competing for the title in various catego- Saturday. More than 200 individual ven- take place in City Park. Attendees are en- crawfish jambalaya and many other craw- ries. Hogs for the Cause provides plen- dors will be present, with stands ranging couraged to dress up in their interpreta- ty of live music on two different stages from art sales to pet adoptions. Three tion of "brunch wear" - be it pajamas or fish creations you've probably never even throughout the weekend. Some of the dreamed of. 'Ihe festival will also feature stages for live music by popular local a food-inspired costume - to participate performing artists include local acts like bands like , Stoop in the contests for best individual and a wide range of musical performances, Kristin Diable, Big Sam's Funky Nation from local acts like New Orleans' premier Kids and Elysian Feel will make the fes- group costumes, as well as best hat. It's horn-powered dance band the Boogie and Sweet Crude, as well as other out-of- tival a must-see event. Plus, a plethora of also worth checking out the Bloody Mary Men to British group The Molly Ring- towners like Shovels and Rope, Greensky food vendors, including the ever-popu- competition to see who claims the crown. walds. If you need a break from the food Bluegrass and Deer Tick. General admis- lar Woody's Fish Tacos and the Fry Bar, With breakfast cocktails, food available and music, you can ride the ferris wheel or sion tickets cost $25 for a day and $40 for will provide dozens of ways to satisfy for purchase from restaurants like The the weekend; other ticket offers and VIP try your luck at one of the carnival game your taste buds. A kids area with a vari- Ruby Slipper Cafe and Brown Butter, and passes are available for the meat enthusi- ety of games, a sidewalk art contest and LASPCA animals up for adoption, there's .' booths. However you choose to spend asts. your time there, the Louisiana Crawfish an oversized Jenga set is sure to enthrall no doubt that Brunch Fest NOLA will be Festival has something for you. the younger attendees. a brunch of fun.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT; AVERY FIFTAL I PHOTO EDITOR, COURTESY OF JWKPEC COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF CREATIVE ZUMO, COURTESY OF BRUNCH FEST NOLA From left to right: Louisiana Crawfish Festival will feature crawfish along with crawfish-inspired cuisines. A participant from last year's Hogs for the Cause BBQ cook-off prepares his meat for competition. A local vendor offers up grilled corn at the annual Freret Street Festival. Brunch Fest NOLA kicks off its first year in City Park on Sunday. Morton Records to shine light on local talent

BY BEN SHOOTER through the PJ's Coffee franchise. The partnership with PJ's ASSOCIATE ARCADE EDITOR Coffee is a fitting match for his label, Morton said l New Orleans native PJ Morton is perhaps best known "I grew up riding past PJs as a kid and always thought it for his work with - his keyboard playing can be had something to do with me and now it does; Morton said. heard on hits like "Payphone'' and "Sugar:' 1his year, howev- "We've partnered up for them to basically be the distribution er, Morton has returned to his roots to create a new project: a chain for the mixtape. It'll exclusively be available at 45 stores record label called Morton Records that will draw from and in New Orleans and surrounding areas. They're a solid brand supr,ort the local music scene. that represents New Orleans to the fullest, not to mention we ' I've always known that home was special and had amaz- share initials:' 1 ing talent, but we've mostly fallen short at having an infra- Maroon 5 is a massively-known major label pop band, structure to push that talent to the rest of the world:' Morton but Morton views his label as something more independent, aid. oriented first and foremost around the New Orleans musical '!he label is currently in the formative stages, but Mor- community. ton has already released a mixtape of music featuring artists "IO definitely consider [the label] indie," Morton said. "A like , Trombone Shorty, and Juve- lot of my vision is patterned after Motown. While it even- nile. While the mixlape is comprised of mostly bounce and . tually became a major [label], the roots and the heyday was hip-hop, its purpose i to how a distinct New Orleans flavor, when it was an indie [label] because as an indie [label] you rather than a defining sound for the label. can make your own rules. This label will very much be about '"!he label won't be a bounce ｭ ｵ ｾ ｩ ｣ label;' Morton said. not following trends:' "I think a mixtape in its nature is something for fun. It's not a ' erious' body of work. I mLXed ome of my R&B and oul READ THE REST ONLINE ongs with the New Orleans bounce beat:' WWW.TULANEHULLABALOO.COM COURTE5Y OF MORTO"l RECORDS Morton releas d h1 mixtape on March 24, distributing it