“It” is the Annual Running of the Bulls through the streets of the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans over the weekend of July 12-15. Set to coincide with the world-famous Encierro (Running of the Bulls) at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain, the popularity of the New Orleans event has mushroomed since it was first staged here in 2007. Last year an estimated 10,000 people took part in the run.

The main event, the “Encierro,” begins at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 14. Starting and ending locations are expected to be announced soon.

The “Bulls,” in case you’re wondering, are the young ladies from the New Orleans-based all-female flat-track derby team, the Big Easy Rollergirls, led by “Archbishop Pummel!” These “RollerBulls,” wearing rubber bull horns on their helmets, skate behind the runners and, as they catch up with the slowest runners along the route, they are allowed to “gore” them by whacking them with soft foam-core wiffle ball bats. The girls will be accompanied by The Rolling Elvi (the plural of “Elvis”), a group of Elvis look-alikes who ride on Segways.

Some participants consider it an honor to be “gored” by the “bulls.” They allow themselves to get whacked several times and no one has ever been hospitalized. It’s all in good fun, taking the famous New Orleans saying “Let the good times ROLL” to its literal extreme. And, in typical New Orleans fashion, it begins with a party and ends with a party!

As the popularity of the festival has grown, so has the number of days on which it is celebrated. It has now grown from one to three days, encompassing a wide diversity of fun events.

The Route
In 2011 a new route for the Encierro was mapped out, taking in more of the downtown area while skirting the edge of the French Quarter between Canal and Bienville streets. As of early May 2012, it hasn’t been announced if last year’s route will change or remain the same. Updated details will be published as they are announced.

Both before and after the run the host venue (to be announced) will be serving sangria, daiquiris, beer, Spanish wine, food and good cheer. There will also be live music by a still-to-be-announced local Latin Rock band.

Other San Fermin Events
The following is a list of events being scheduled for the San Fermin weekend:

• Thursday, July 12: Annual Wine Dinner, 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, July 13: El Txupinazo (a special Spanish-themed dinner), 6:00-9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, July 14: La Fiesta de Pantalones (The Pants Party), 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, July 15: El Pobré de Mi (Poor Me) Contest testing knowledge of Ernest Hemingway, 11:30 a.m.
Venues for the abovementioned events will be announced as the dates get closer and tickets for those events will go on sale at that time.

Donations are strongly recommended to help defray some of the costs involved in Encierro and other free San Fermin events. Early arrival is also strongly recommended.

The main requirement for all who plan to participate in the run is to wear a white shirt, white pants or shorts and have a red scarf or long red cloth tied around their waists and necks. Of course, this being New Orleans, many of the participants take it even further, showing up in clever and imaginative costumes, especially dressed up as matadors and bulls.

Other rules for the run are:

• Run at your own risk
• Do not touch the Bulls
• If you go down, stay down
• Do not stand still
• Children under ten (10) use sidewalk.

For further information go to the group’s website www.nolabulls.com.

As they have done every year (except one) since 1994, the publishers of Essence magazine continue to sponsor the festival which has annually brought tens of thousands of visitors to New Orleans with a dazzling array of superstars and renowned speakers. This year’s headliner is the undisputed “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin. Also, returning to the live performance stage for the first time in ten years is Grammy Award-winning crooner D’Angelo, and the ever-popular Trey Songz will be making his third Essence Fest appearance in the past three years.

Other musical superstars include Grammy Award winners Fantasia, Estelle, Marsha Ambrosius, Mary J. Blige, Stephanie Mills and the Pointer Sisters. Outstanding male artists include The Stylistics, Charlie Wilson, Dru Hill, Kirk Franklin, Tank and more. A partial list of the scheduled performers is as follows:

• Bridget Kelly
• Eric “Erro” Roberson
• Fred Hammond
• Goapele
• Keyshia Cole
• Kindred the Family Soul
• Luke James
• Eve
• Mary Mary
• Maurette Brown Clark
• Raheem DeVaughn
• SWV
• Vivian Green
• Teedra Moses

New Orleans area performers include:

• Big Sam’s Funky Nation
• Khris Royal & Dark Matter
• Ledisi
• The Original Pinettes Brass Band
• The Stooges Brass Band

Other performers are scheduled as well. A complete night by night lineup of Essence performers can be found at this link: www.essence.com/festivals/2012/essence-music-festival/schedule.

Here in New Orleans the two cultures converge every year during Memorial Day weekend at the architecturally breathtaking Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, towering over scenic, serene Bayou St. John. The dates for Greek Festival 2012, celebrating all things pan-Hellenic, are May 25-27 2012.

Aficionados of souvlaki, baklava, dolma (stuffed grape leaves), spanakopita (spinach pie), and gyro sandwiches (pita bread pockets stuffed with lamb, pork and zesty sauce) will find plenty of it – and more – at the New Orleans Greek Festival, where dozens of unique food specialties are served up. Fans of Greek music, especially the distinctive sounds of the bouzouki guitar, will find more than their share of that too, as Hellenic dancers in colorful native costumes sway to the driving rhythms. Before long, you, too, will be shouting “Opa!” like they did in the movie’s wedding reception scene.

The cathedral and festival site are located at 1200 Robert E. Lee Boulevard (at St. Bernard Avenue) in New Orleans. Donation is $5 – children under 12 admitted free. Free off-site parking and shuttle service is available.

For more information call 504-282-0259 or visit their website at www.greekfestnola.com

Sampson’s suggestion was to satirize, yet cash in on the name and success of the annual art event in the Warehouse District known as “White Linen Night.” The name for the Royal Street event that Sampson came up with was “Dirty Linen Night.”

Since the first Dirty Linen Night about four years ago, it has evolved into a major happening that has begun rivaling its Warehouse District namesake in terms of pedestrian traffic and business. Held the second Saturday of August every year – a week after White Linen Night – this event takes in roughly five or six blocks of Royal Street and parts of adjoining cross streets.

To make the event even more memorable, many of the participating galleries and shops give away dirty martinis and dirty rice (for the uninitiated, Cajun-style white rice with chicken livers and giblets). Laundry baskets outside the participating businesses add yet another touch of whimsy to Dirty Linen Night, along with suggestions by the Royal Street merchants for people to wear the linens they might have soiled the week before during White Linen Night. The evening also features participating musical groups, wandering clowns and mimes and other innovative entertainment features. Every year some new touch is added.

In contrast to the raucousness and bright lights of Bourbon Street, Royal Street is the French Quarter’s crown jewel in terms of elegance, decorum and culture. Art galleries, antique shops, jewelry stores and other specialty shops designated only by plain wooden signs, and featuring the work of local artisans and specialized craftspeople have been the street’s mainstay for many years. Along with some of the finest examples of centuries-old architecture with ornately decorated exteriors and balconies. It is one of the most photographed streets in the world, and one of the most frequently seen in films and TV shows.

On Dirty Linen Night, despite the name, Royal Street is given a chance to shine. Participating merchants in the roughly 500 to 1000 blocks, along with several adjoining blocks along St. Peter and Dumaine streets, are on hand to pleasantly greet strollers and potential customers and guide them around their establishments’ inventories. Also participating are artists in the small section known as “Dutch Alley,” where Dumaine Street meets the Mississippi River levee (actually 912 North Peters Street). Gallery owners and other local merchants may offer special prices on their merchandise or may be willing to cut deals with customers.

Admission to the event is, of course, free, and it goes on for roughly four to five hours on the second Saturday in August. The most heavily trafficked blocks of Royal and adjoining streets are blocked off to vehicular traffic and strollers can take in the scene at their own pace. Between 30 and 40 galleries and other shops participate each year.

For three hours on that first Saturday evening in August, five blocks of Julia Street are closed to vehicular traffic and a huge, festive, uniquely New Orleans-style block party known as Whitney White Linen Night kicks off. The event is free and open to the public.

During the hours of 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. the two dozen or so art galleries on or adjacent to Julia Street open their doors to art aficionados and casual strollers alike. Those who get into the spirit of the occasion wear white outfits and some even wear white hats, in keeping with an old New Orleans tradition.

Sponsored by Whitney Bank, Whitney White Linen Night will be held this year on Saturday, August 4. In the closed-off 300 to 700 blocks of Julia Street, stages are set up for live entertainment featuring some of New Orleans’ top bands. In addition, there are conveniently situated kiosks where food and beverages from some of New Orleans’ top restaurants and bars are sold. Complimentary hand-held fans given out by the galleries will help keep you cool on what is very likely to be a typically hot summer evening.

Immediately following the three-hour block party, the nearby Contemporary Arts Center hosts its annual White Linen Night party with live music, refreshments and more art work on display. There is an admission charge for the event, but it is a fun way to keep the evening going after the block party is over. The CAC party usually ends around midnight.

Getting There
The Warehouse Arts District is a relatively short walk from the French Quarter and the hotels of downtown New Orleans. However, for those who prefer to ride, Julia Street is a major stop on the scenic, historic St. Charles Avenue Streetcar line which originates at Canal and Carondelet streets. The fare is $1.25 per person and exact change is required.

For more information about Whitney White Linen Night call the Contemporary Arts Center at (504) 528-3805 or visit www.cacno.org. For a complete listing of art galleries go to click here.