Free events make N.O. attractive destination

• By JUDY BERGERON
• Advocate News Features staff
• Published: Jun 14, 2009

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In these tough economic times, what traveler wouldn’t want to be pointed in the “free” direction?

Just in time for summer day-trips, the Web site NewOrleansOnline.com has compiled a list of 50 free things to do in New Orleans.
The list is, of course, as varied as the colorful city itself, from window shopping on Magazine Street, to watching the swans from the Peristyle in City Park. There are all the free tours, music and museums in the French Quarter. Also making the list are touring the “global green” house in the Lower Ninth Ward or volunteering with one of the many organizations helping to rebuild city residences after Katrina. There are some things one might not have thought about or known about, such as the Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum upstairs at Arnaud’s or watching the sunset from Lakeshore Drive.

Check out the whole list at http://www.neworleansonline.com.

Also in New Orleans
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s third annual Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival continues today at the French Market. The festival runs 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and features artists specializing in southwest Louisiana dance music. Today’s performers, entertaining on two stages, include Goldman Thibodeaux & the Lawtell Playboys, JJ & the Zydeco Dog Pound, Li’l Malcolm and the House Rockers, Amanda Shaw, Sunpie & the La. Sunspots, Pine Leaf Boys, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Leon Chavis and the Zydeco Flames and Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience. Music stages are at Barrack and Dumaine streets.

This festival is actually combined with the French Market’s Creole Tomato Festival and the Louisiana Seafood Festival for three fests in one. Farmers and fishermen will have fresh produce and seafood for sale. Chefs from some of the city’s best restaurants will demonstrate how to use Creole tomatoes and local seafood in cooking.

For more details, go to http://www.jazzandheritage.org.

The Audubon Insectarium is celebrating its first anniversary this weekend.

Visitors will receive ANT-iversary party hats, register for prizes, hear special arthropod chats and munch on cookie cake.

Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man will visit from noon to 4 p.m. at the Canal Street entrance. There will be musical performances from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Aquarium plaza.

The Insectarium is located at 423 Canal St. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. For more information, go to http://www.AudubonInstitute.org.

A panel discussion on Michael P. Smith’s vision and approach to photography will run 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St.

The discussion is in conjunction with the exhibition In the Spirit: The Photography of Michael P. Smith from The Historic New Orleans Collection.

The discussion is free and open to the public but space is limited and reservations are suggested. Call (504) 523-4662 or e-mail wrc@hnoc.org.