New Orleans BriefWeek of May 11 – May 17, 2026
New Orleans and the Greater Metro · Events, News & More
Today
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79°/73°
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Mon
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84°/70°
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Tue
83°/66°
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Wed
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85°/71°
Thu
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This Week at a Glance

After-Mother's Day Cleanup

Monday, May 11, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM · New Orleans City Park

Monday morning at City Park: grab a pair of gloves and help restore green space alongside neighbors and staff.

Dog Park Painting Project

Tuesday, May 12, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM · New Orleans City Park

Tuesday 9 AM–noon: bring the whole family to refresh a local dog park with fresh paint and genuine community spirit.

NOMA Museum Shop Book Sale

Tuesday, May 12 – Sunday, May 17 • 10:00 AM · NOMA Museum Shop

Tuesday through Sunday: deep discounts on art, design, and literary titles—one of the season's best browsing opportunities.

Studio KIDS!: Make Your Own Sketchbook

Saturday, May 16 • 10:30 AM · New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119

Join us at the museum on select Saturday mornings for Studio KIDS!

Blue Star Museums Kickoff Cookout

Saturday, May 16, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM · National WWII Museum, New Orleans

Saturday afternoon at the National WWII Museum: free admission and a cookout celebrating military families and museum access all summer.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents’ Cheat Sheet

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Tue, May 12 • 9:00 AM · New Orleans City Park · New Orleans
Tuesday, May 12, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at New Orleans City Park. Bring your kids to help refresh a community dog park with paint and brushes. A hands-on way to teach kids about civic pride while getting them outside.
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Friday–Saturday, May 15–16 throughout the day at Louisiana Children's Museum. Pick your activity: water games, nature exploration, storytelling, and art projects for all ages. No registration required for most programs; drop in anytime.
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Sun, May 17 • 8:00 AM · New Orleans City Park · New Orleans
Sunday, May 17, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM at New Orleans City Park. Browse fresh produce, local crafts, and prepared foods while kids explore the market stalls. Free to attend; a relaxed way to spend a Sunday morning.
Sat, May 16 • 10:30 AM · New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119 · New Orleans
Saturday, May 16, 10:00 AM at New Orleans Museum of Art (1 Collins Diboll Circle). Kids create and decorate a custom sketchbook to take home. A perfect one-hour activity for children who like hands-on art projects.

⚠️ What Affects Your Week

🌧Sat, May 9 — Neutral ground parking allowed in New Orleans as severe storms, flash flooding threaten area

🌟 This Weekend · May 15 – May 17

Oath of Enlistment Ceremony NOLA

Sat, May 16 • 10:00 AM

National WWII Museum · New Orleans

Community Engagement 05/16/2026 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM New recruits from across the US Armed Forces will publicly take the Oath of Enlistment before family, friends, and community members. Register

KID-FRIENDLYRSVP REQ'D

Family Garden Walks NOLA

Sat, May 16 • 11:00 AM

Longue Vue House & Gardens · New Orleans

Guided all-ages walk through Longue Vue's gardens on Saturday mornings discovering seasonal plants, design, and landscape history.

KID-FRIENDLY

Blue Star Museums Kickoff Cookout NOLA

Sat, May 16 • 12:00 PM

National WWII Museum · New Orleans

Community Engagement 05/16/2026 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Veterans, current military personnel, and their families are invited to enjoy a cookout-style lunch and family-friendly activities to kick off…

KID-FRIENDLYRSVP REQ'D

Curator Walkthrough JEA

Sat, May 16 • 2:00 PM

Ogden Museum of Southern Art · Jean Charles

Ogden Museum Curator of Photography Richard McCabe leads a guided tour of 'I Am The Face,' exploring portraiture in Southern photography history.

The Embodied Magic of Nature Journaling: Illustrating, Observing, and Recording the World Around You NOLA

Sun, May 17 • 10:00 AM

New Orleans Museum of Art · New Orleans

Springtime workshop at the Besthoff Sculpture Garden teaching sketching and nature observation techniques for beginners and experienced journalers alike.

KID-FRIENDLYOUTDOORSRSVP REQ'D

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Picks (7)

Kids & Family (5)

Museums, playgrounds, and kid-focused programs that let parents actually enjoy their weekend too.

Storytime at the Museum NOLA

Tue, May 12 • 10:00 AM

National WWII Museum · New Orleans

Kids & Families 05/12/2026 | 10:00 AM - 10:20 AM Spark your child's love of history with our WWII-themed storytime experience.

KID-FRIENDLY

Wild Wonderers in the Edible Garden NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 9:30 AM

Louisiana Children's Museum · New Orleans

Louisiana Children's Museum program exploring gardens through observation, planting, and discovery of how food grows.

RECURRING

Water & Wonder in our Courtyard and Event Lawn Area NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 10:00 AM

Louisiana Children's Museum · New Orleans

Louisiana Children's Museum water-play and outdoor exploration program for young learners on the museum grounds.

OUTDOORSRECURRING

Discover Quests Location Varies NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 2:00 PM

Louisiana Children's Museum · New Orleans

Louisiana Children's Museum self-guided exploration activity encouraging families to discover and learn across museum spaces.

RECURRING

Toddler Time Steps to STEM in our Play With Me Gallery - Children 3 and under NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 2:00 PM

Louisiana Children's Museum · New Orleans

Louisiana Children's Museum STEM-focused play session for babies and toddlers using hands-on exploration and simple science concepts.

KID-FRIENDLYRECURRING

Library Programs (2)

Teen Book Club 2026 NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 4:30 PM

New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119 · New Orleans

NOMA summer reading and discussion group for teens ages 13–18 centered on books related to art and culture.

KID-FRIENDLYRSVP REQ'D

Book Club: Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden History of Delftware and the Women Behind the Iconic Ceramic by Genevieve Wheeler Brown NOLA

Thu, May 14 • 12:00 PM

New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119 · New Orleans

NOMA monthly book club discussing art-related non-fiction titles, this month exploring ceramics history and women's contributions to craft.

RSVP REQ'D

🌇 Around New Orleans (15)

Arts, Culture & Music (6)

NOMA Museum Shop Book Sale NOLA

Tue, May 12 • 10:00 AM

NOMA Museum Shop · New Orleans

Discounted art books, design catalogs, and literary titles from the museum shop—prime browsing for design lovers and collectors.

Gallery Talk with Deputy Director and Curator Lisa Rotondo-McCord NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 12:30 PM

New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119 · New Orleans

Weekly NOMA curator talk offering expert perspective on current exhibitions and works in the permanent collection.

FREE

Craft Happy Hour NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 6:00 PM

Ogden Museum of Southern Art · New Orleans

Celebrate the season with a creative, hands-on Spring workshop. In this guided class, participants will design and paint a traditional float flower—now with added leaves for an even fuller, more…

RSVP REQ'D

Producer's Choice: Serendipity (2001) and Conversation with Meryl Poster and Screenwriter Marc Klein (via Zoom) NOLA

Wed, May 13 • 6:30 PM

NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts · New Orleans

Award-winning producer Meryl Poster presents a curated film screening followed by live conversation with the screenwriter via Zoom.

Art Studi-O NOLA

Sat, May 16 • 10:00 AM

Ogden Museum of Southern Art · New Orleans

Join ceramist MaPó Kinnord for a special sculpture workshop exploring meditative clay techniques. Learn how to form pinch pots using contemplative clay techniques. Participants will create sculptural…

OUTDOORSRSVP REQ'D

Traditional Japanese Shotokan Karate NOLA

Sun, May 17 • 10:00 AM

Longue Vue House & Gardens · New Orleans

Join black belt Allan Laskey for a course designed for seniors, but open to all! Wellness benefits include flexibility, improved balance and posture, cardiovascular health, stress relief,…

RSVP REQ'D

Community Events (6)

Volunteer cleanups, neighborhood gatherings, and civic initiatives that remind you why we show up for each other.

Half-day Itinerary NOLA

Mon, May 11 • 1:00 AM

National WWII Museum · New Orleans

Half-Day In a bit of a time crunch? You can still have an amazing experience and get the best of the Museum with this streamlined, customizable itinerary.

Three-Hour Itinerary NOLA

Mon, May 11 • 1:00 AM

National WWII Museum · New Orleans

3-Hour Experience The National WWII Museum in just three hours with this itinerary based on our Best Value Package.

Two-day Itinerary NOLA

Mon, May 11 • 1:00 AM

National WWII Museum · New Orleans

2-Day Savor the full Museum experience with two days to immerse yourself in everything our campus has to offer. Spend time in each gallery, enjoy lunch and/or treats, spoil you or your loved ones…

WWII Travel Itinerary - Drive Back to Dallas/Fort Worth NOLA

Mon, May 11 • 1:00 AM

National WWII Museum · New Orleans

2-Day Here's more World War II to discover on your drive to Dallas/Fort Worth.

Thursday Garden Volunteers NOLA

Thu, May 14 • 8:30 AM

Longue Vue House & Gardens · New Orleans

Volunteer opportunity to work alongside Longue Vue garden staff maintaining the estate's eight acres of cultivated landscape.

RSVP REQ'D

The Book of Mormon NOLA

Sun, May 17 • 6:00 PM

Saenger Theatre · New Orleans

Sports & Recreation (1)

Yoga in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden NOLA

Sat, May 16 • 8:00 AM

New Orleans Museum of Art · New Orleans

OUTDOORSRSVP REQ'D

Workshops & Classes (1)

Art Thrives: Collage Workshop NOLA

Thu, May 14 • 12:00 PM

New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119 · New Orleans

Volunteer & Civic (1)

After-Mother’s Day Cleanup NOLA

Mon, May 11 • 9:00 AM

New Orleans City Park · New Orleans

After-Mother’s Day Cleanup As an extension of the Park’s litter-abatement campaign, volunteers will come together to clear our greenspace after a busy weekend in the Park

📰 News You Should Know

📌 Save the Date

Notable events, festivals, and deadlines coming up in the next 3 months.

May 2026

June 2026

July 2026