Drew School New Orleans 2023

March 26, 2023

Today we were able to get beignets from the famous Cafe du Monde and eat them with a view of the Mississippi River. We were then able to visit the Louisiana State Museum in the French Quarter. The museum had a moving exhibit about Hurricane Katrina and the city’s struggle to bring New Orleans back to life. It incorporated old news footage, interviews, and objects found in the wreckage after the flooding. As we continued through the museum there were many rooms dedicated to the history of Mardi Gras, its cultural significance to New Orleans, and how it helped revive New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

After a lunch in the French Quarter we headed to the New Orleans Jazz Museum to learn about jazz and its origins. Later we walked all around the same area to look at stores and explore more independently. As a group we went to Congo Square, a historically significant congregating point for music in New Orleans for centuries, and found not one but TWO music festivals in full swing. We saw performances my Mardi Gras Indians and an all-female brass band called The Original Pinettes Brass Band. We were able to see the music and culture from the museums in person and experience them for ourselves. We ended the day with Louisiana style vegetarian meals.

By Maggie O.