Archive for Category: "Events"

15Apr
2012

Anatomy of a New York Street Fair

The season has finally arrived: Entire New York avenue blocks are beginning to shut down in every part of the city to accommodate street fairs! While the location and theme at each New York street fair very much influence which booths you’ll find, there are always a few that remind you that you’re in good old Manhattan. When you’ve spent enough weekends at New York street fairs, you start to see a pattern… -Tara for TKGO

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30Nov
2011

Little Italy’s San Gennaro Festival

As Little Italy’s most famous festival, the Feast of San Gennaro turns Mulberry Street into a madhouse. Unlike most street festivals, where a visitor can expect to stroll along a wide avenue, pick up a lemon ice and browse racks of jewelry, no one was kidding when they named San Gennaro a “feast”—there is no jewelry to be had here, and no one comes looking for it, either! The Italian restaurants on the block set up tented booths on the [...]

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13Jun
2011

Hog Heaven: The Big Apple BBQ Block Party

You know you’ve been spoiled when you have to shower twice before the smell of barbecue smoke begins to subside. Madison Square Park turned into a literal pork steam bath this weekend for the 9th annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party. New York institutions like Blue Smoke, Pappy’s and Hill Country had crowds lined up to suck on four ribs or a pulled pork sandwich for $8. Everywhere, people were eating. They slurp down ribs on stairways, brisket while leaning [...]

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26Mar
2011

Mardi Gras 2011: Get More Swag!

Mardi Gras is all about sharing. When you want something your neighbor caught four of, you’ll believe me. But there are some items you won’t give away, no matter how much little kids stare and adults drool. Ladies and gentlemen, TKGO picks the top throws from Mardi Gras 2011: So how do you catch these awesome things? A few tips: Beggars can’t be choosers. A sign that reads “Mini Hurricane Glasses, Please!” will only get you angry glares. But at [...]

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26Mar
2011

Mardi Gras Parades 2011: The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club

Zulu feels different from many of the other parades. They borrow a few floats from other krewes and throw beads made for parades as far back as 2009, but the sentiment here is unrivaled. The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club isn’t called a krewe—it was founded in 1916 before the term was popular—but it is one. Zulu is one of the oldest organizations to march. Their parade takes place at 8 a.m. on Fat Tuesday, so the highly motivated [...]

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25Mar
2011

Anatomy of a Mardi Gras Parade: Krewe of Thoth

The parades are central to Mardi Gras. It’s where you get the beads, hang out with your friends and, for some (most), carry your booze around with you in the street. Each parade is organized by a krewe (pronounced “crew”), whose members pay for everything they throw to crowds from the floats, from beads to high heeled shoes. Member dues, which can be thousands of dollars a year, pay for float construction and costs associated with the ball typically held [...]

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24Mar
2011

Mardi Gras Parades 201: New rules to live by

You may have noticed New Orleans marches to the beat of its own drummer. During Mardi Gras, that multiplies tenfold. Rule 1: Given the choice between cold hard cash and a necklace of plastic beads, there is no chance you will go home richer. Beads become the currency of the town this week of the year (and probably more). Even the military marching bands pride themselves in their bead collections! The best time we had was handing out every necklace [...]

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23Mar
2011

Mardi Gras Parades 101: Setting up camp

There are worse things than getting caught in a group of tourists in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. They’re usually nice people and Mardi Gras puts them in a good mood (read: they’re happy drunks). As fun as the French Quarter can be, if you want to get a real taste of Mardi Gras, camp out on the local side of the parade routes. We spent most of our time in Uptown, where the parades run straight through neighborhoods (and [...]

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19Mar
2011

What I Learned at Mardi Gras 2011

After five days in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, I have discovered: 10. I like my grits with cream and butter. 9. People will happily spend hours begging shamelessly for beer coozies, boas, plastic cups, bags of chips, furry harpoons, and plastic beads. 8. If Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa weren’t already BFFs, they are now. 7. Larger-than-life papier mache Michael Jacksons and Edgar Allen Poes really don’t become any less extraordinary the more you see them. 6. A liberal [...]

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