Editor’s Picks for August

An Olympic future? A few locals are worth watching
August 1, 2012
Title bout headlines wrestling event
August 7, 2012
An Olympic future? A few locals are worth watching
August 1, 2012
Title bout headlines wrestling event
August 7, 2012

Four  regional events in August are listed.


Satchmo Summerfest

Aug. 3-5


Honking jazz paying tribute to New Orleans’ native son Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong kicks off this month at the annual Satchmo Summerfest at the Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave. Admission is free.


Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers, Yoshio Toyama and the Dixie Saints, Preservation Hall-Stars and the Treme Funktet featuring Corey Henry and Travis Hill are among the performers on Saturday and Sunday.

An Armstrong Trumpet Tribute, featuring Ruffins, closes the festival Sunday at 7:30 p.m.


Lectures begin Aug. 3 at the Mint. Topics include “My Friend Satchmo,” “Satchmo’s Gear,” “Digital Satchmo” and “Pops in England,” among many others.


The Mint includes a children’s area, or “Satchmo for Kids,” where the young ones can partake in activities such as a Satchmo collage project and a second-line umbrella creation station.

Dancers of all levels can take Swing and Charleston dance lessons from instructors at the Cornet Chop Suey Stage between musical sets.


Nicholls hosts glamorous art auction


Aug. 10

Salvador Dalí, Walt Disney, and Pablo Picasso are among the names touted by Nicholls State University as it promotes a live art auction benefitting the Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders, headquartered at the university.


Doors open at 6 p.m., and the auction begins at 7 p.m. Cash, checks and all major credit cards are accepted.


More than 160 pieces of artwork by several nationally known artists and a few locals, all framed, await bids: lithographs, engravings, etchings, watercolors, silkscreens, giclées, catroon cels, original oils and mixed media.

The auction is held at the Houma Municipal Auditorium, 800 Verret St. To reserve tickets, which cost $20, call (985) 448-4214. Those who reserve tickets before the event are eligible for an exclusive prize drawing.


All proceeds benefit students served by the center.


State of the Art Fundraising Art Auctions is sponsoring the event. For more information, visit www.fundraisingartauctions.com.

Races feature ostriches, camels


Aug. 18

In addition to a full slate of American Quarter Horse races, the nation’s third-oldest racetrack features one-night-only derbies with exotic animals – ostriches and camels.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots hosts the quirky event, which is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. General admission costs $10, and children 12 and younger get in free.

The Struthio Stakes, or ostriches’ race, begins at 7:10 p.m. and the camels post at 8:40 p.m. for the Dromedary Dash.

But that’s not all – Gentilly Bill, of Fair Ground’s fame, leads a mascot race also including Hugo (New Orleans Hornets), Boudreaux (Zephyrs), Bones (Voodoo) and others that begins at 7:55 p.m.

The highlight of the horse races is the $40,000 Audubon Stakes for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares.

Afterward, on the fourth and fifth floors of the clubhouse, the inaugural Tails & Ales tasting features international craft and specialty beers. Admission is $35 at the door.

Football’s back

Through Feb. 3

The New Orleans Saints open preseason play Aug. 5 in Phoenix, and thus, football has returned.

The Saints play home preseason games on Aug. 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Aug. 25 against the Houston Texans. Tickets range from $13 to $600 for the two games as listed on the NFL’s Ticket Exchange.

They open up the regular season on Sept. 9 against the Washington Redskins in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. And, of course, the Superdome hosts Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3.

The LSU Tigers are also strapping on the pads soon. They open regular season play at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 against North Texas … in Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers, ranked in the top-5 by most pundits, play home games on Sept. 8 (Washington), Sept. 15 (Idaho), Sept. 29 (Towson), Oct. 13 (South Carolina), Nov. 3 (Alabama), Nov. 10 (Mississippi State) and Nov. 17 (Ole Miss). Schedule accordingly.

For the sake of a listing, the SEC Championship is scheduled for Dec. 1 and the NCAA National Championship is set for Jan. 7.

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong is memorialized with the Satchmo Summerfest Aug. 3-5 at Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans.

COURTESY PHOTO

Ostriches and camels take to the racetrack at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on Aug. 18.

COURTESY PHOTO