“Sunset Sundays” Concert Series Debuts October 8 in City Park
October 3rd, 2006 by Jared ZellerWeekly Event Features Top Local Talent at New Outdoor Stage in Botanical Gardens
The MotherShip Foundation and City Park’s Botanical Gardens announced today a new concert series, dubbed “Sunset Sundays,” which will feature top local musical acts in a stunning new outdoor venue. The series begins October 8 and culminates on November 12.
While much of City Park is still reeling from the effects of the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina, the Botanical Gardens has recovered and will be the setting for the concerts. A new, permanent outdoor stage, which is surrounded by a gorgeous natural amphitheatre, has been built. The “Sunset Sundays” concert series will be the first concerts on the new stage.
Each Sunday’s concert will begin at 4 PM and continue until 7:30 PM. In addition to the musical performances, there will be fun and games for kids of all ages; food and beverages (for purchase); local artists’ exhibits; and ample free parking. The concert schedule is rain or shine.
Each week’s musical acts will be loosely grouped based on genre. October 8 will feature hot local Latin bands Freddy Omar con su Banda and Los Vecinos. October 15 will feature funk and brass band music from the Hot 8 Brass Band and Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove. October 22 will highlight Cajun and Zydeco music from “Sunpie” Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots and the Zydepunks.
The “Sunset Sundays” concert series, which will take a break on October 29 as the Voodoo Music Experience will be taking over City Park for the weekend, resumes on November 5 featuring Ruby Rendrag and Morning 40 Federation. The series concludes on November 12th with an evening of Soul and R&B featuring Charmaine Neville plus Billy Iuso & The Restless Natives.
The MotherShip Foundation was established in September 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The 501(c) 3 organization produces events that educate and stimulate citizens though the arts, especially the indigenous musical stylings of New Orleans. The foundation targets communities plagued by crime, racism, and failed education systems.
The New Orleans Botanical Garden opened as the City Park Rose Garden in 1936. It was New Orleans’ first public classical garden. In the early 1980s, it was reborn as the New Orleans Botanical Garden. The garden’s collections contain over 2,000 varieties of plants from all over the world set among the nation’s largest stand of mature live oaks. The site also contains the recently renovated Conservatory of the Two Sisters; several theme gardens containing aquatics, ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials; and the New Orleans Historic Train Garden.
For more information contact Jared Zeller at (504) 460-5957 or funk@MotherShipEntertainment.com