There was oompah in the air, a giant costumed chicken on the dance floor and lots of beer and bratwurst and schnitzel. It was the opening day for Oktoberfest in New Orleans and a much needed glimpse of the good feelings we might’ve once taken for granted at our shared outdoor celebrations.
A few days later, it was Latin dance music that filled the air at Top Taco, a food fest that turned Lafreniere park in Metairie into a tableau of tequila drinks and tacos of all description.
And here it was again, that familiar sense of social satisfaction I’ve been missing.
This was supposed to be a fall of mega events in New Orleans, until the Delta surge cleared the calendar.
But now more facets of pre-pandemic life are returning and that includes these first festivals, small and nimble enough to pull things together on the fly.
Food serves as the center point for each, though at Oktoberfest you could argue maybe beer has the first spot, though I could further argue that beer is also food.
Anyway it all reminded me of just how much we get when New Orleans people get together. The unscripted interactions, catching up with people you didn’t even know you missed, sharing an experience that’s live, in person, for once not on Zoom, and that support local groups and causes.
More examples are stacking up - the fundraisers and community events that once peppered our weekend schedules and are now returning. Restaurants are a key part of course, and as usual. This weekend brings a full slate, including a barbeque and a bar crawl. See my story on nola.com for details.
As for Oktoberfest, it’s a later version this year, so there’s still two more weekends to go (Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 13). There will be food, there will be beer, there will be a chicken leading the dance moves for flappers of entirely different sort.
