Wine & Food Experience one of N.O.’s highlights

• Advocate marketing report
• Published: Apr 26, 2009

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It’s no secret that New Orleans is known for its abundance of festivals year-round, and 2009 is no exception.

“What some cities consider their yearly calendar of events, we call spring,” said New Orleans CVB President Stephen Perry. “It is what the residents of New Orleans enjoy the most and do best, and we are eager to share our spirit of hospitality.”

One of the biggest events to help transition festival season from spring to summer is the 18th annual New Orleans Wine & Food Experience on May 19-23.

The nationally recognized event will feature more than 175 wineries and 1,000 wines.

“The secret to NOWFE’s success is the perfect blend of outstanding wine, extraordinary food, expert panelists and the absolutely amazing backdrop of our city,” said event President Greg Reggio. “And to be able to use this event to raise money for local charities – that’s the icing on the cake.”

That makes for a lot of icing on one big cake, since the five-day event raises more than $125,000 for charity annually. The event’s executive director, Joyce Godbold, says this year’s event attendance could be a record.

According to the CVB, more than 7 million visitors made their way to New Orleans in 2007, nearly double the number of 2006.

“Economically and culturally, festivals have grown to be the lifeblood of our city’s tourism industry,” Perry said. “The recent success of traditional festivals and the new additions to the calendar signal as well that New Orleans is very much alive and thriving.”

Some events available to visitors include the following:

• May 7-10 – Bike Week New Orleans at the Broken Spoke. Warehouse District.
  Phone: (866) 218-4565
  On the Net: http://www.bikeweekneworleans.com
• May 22-24 – Greek Festival New Orleans. 1200 Robert E. Lee Boulevard. Entrance donation $5; free for children younger than 12.
  Phone: (504) 282-0259
  On the Net: http://www.greekfestnola.com
• June 13-15 – A New Orleans Vieux To Do. At the Old U.S. Mint and French Market.
  On the Net: http://www.frenchmarket.org, http://www.neworleansseafoodfestival.com, http://www.jazzandheritage.org
• July 3-5 – ESSENCE Music Festival. Louisiana Superdome.
  On the Net: http://www.essencemusicfestival.com
• July 8-12 – Tales of the Cocktail. Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St.
  On the Net: http://www.talesofthecocktail.com
• July 30 to Aug. 2 – Satchmo Summerfest. Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave.
  On the Net: http://www.fqfi.org

And the fact that many of these festivals are free adds more value to a visit to The Big Easy, Perry noted.

On the Net: http://www. neworleanscvb.com, http://www.nowfe.com