 Join me for the Festival! Take in the Blooms. Natchez has over 10,000 Crepe Myrtles and Counting...
Festival Itinerary & Event Updates Posted Here: Visit Natchez This really happened! It all started with an idea I had last summer to celebrate the abundant beauty of Crepe Myrtles in Natchez! No other city can boast the extraordinary display of Crepe Myrtles blooming like Natchez, Mississippi. On Friday, June 21 & Saturday, June 22, Crepe Myrtles will be the star of a festival celebrating their beauty and offering educational talks to promote their continued enjoyment. Book your stay now! Beginning with a Crepe Crawl (walk) downtown Friday night, and gathering again Saturday, at the Natchez Farmers Market where Master Gardeners offer advice and Crepe Myrtles will be on sale, and then onto free lectures at the Natchez Historic Foundation covering Crepe Myrtle history and proper maintenance - yes Crepe Murder is to be avoided! There’s also a self-guided tour to view the city’s most splendid blooms on Saturday and book signings. CREPE MYRTLE CENTRAL Downtown headquarters for maps, Friday tickets & information: Natchez Architectural and Art Discoveries, 515 Main Street Owned by our Crepe Myrtle ambassador, Jim Smith FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019, 6-9 pm The Crepe Crawl (walk) - A fun night among the Crepe Myrtles walking along the famous “open container route”. Starting Point: Crepe Myrtle Central, 515 Main Street. Must be 21 years of age, $20 provides 2 wrist-bands for a 2-for-1 drink or appetizer at participating restaurants and a 2-for-1 cover charge at participating live music venues.  By G Douglas Adams SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2019, 8 am to 12 Noon, Natchez Farmers Market,100 block South Commerce Street. Live music, fresh produce, baked goods, fresh dairy, arts and crafts and more from local growers and artists. Crepe Myrtle trees for sale. Master Gardeners handy with advice. 9 am to Noon, Educational Programming, Free Lectures & Workshop, Historic Natchez Foundation,108 South Commerce Street, Conference Room. Welcome by Peter Patout and others who will honor the memory of Sallie Ballard. Topics include:
Saturday continued.... |
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 Photo by G. Douglas Adams | Natchez City Cemetery, all day, 2 Cemetery Rd., walk or drive to enjoy 490 crepe myrtles. Auburn Antebellum Home, noon-2pm, 400 Duncan Park Avenue. Tour historic home & enjoy Gumbo & Mint Juleps $20, served in restored original kitchen. Walk or drive to view 475 Crepe Myrtles within playground surrounding golf course lining road to pro shop. Take in a game of golf for extra fee. Tickets sold on-site. Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens, 2-4pm, 1358 John A Quitman Blvd., sip a Bloody Mary while walking among 125 crepe myrtles. $8 per person. Tickets sold on-site. Book Signings at Regina’s Kitchen, 2-4pm, 312 Main Street, exciting details to come! |
My vision for the Natchez International Crepe Myrtle Festival was met with a groundswell of enthusiasm from these garden and community leaders:
Co-Chair Regina & Doug Charboneau, Co-Chair Elaine & Mike Gemmell, Butch & Shields Brown, Jeff Mansell, Jennifer Combs, Stratton Hall, Debbie Hudson, Jim Smith, Eddie Burkes, Marcia McCullough, Peter Bundgard (current President of the Adams County Master Gardeners), Doug Adams, Bettie Jo Harris, James Wade, David Carter, Hedy Boelte, Warren and Nancy Reuther, Samantha Brown, Jim Johnson, Geoff Butcher, Rita Tebbetts, Joanne King - Crepe Myrtle QueenMother, Margaret Graves, Al Walker, Jim Blough, Carter Burns, Colleen Conner, Donna Ballard Maselli, Brenda Fuller, Clark Feiser, Lee Anne Garner, Sherry Hansen, Jason Jones, Melinda Kent, Monroe Sago, Sandra V. Ellard, Marla Toman, and more!
The Natchez-Adams Community Alliance is a sponsor providing fiduciary oversight and support.
The Natchez-Adams Community Alliance is a sponsor providing fiduciary oversight and support.
Photo by Ben Hllyer, Natchez Democrat
With this festival, we are honoring the memory of Sallie Ballard. Many historic 19th - 20th century trees have survived. In the year 2,000, Sallie Ballard made it her mission to plant 2,000 Natchez White and colorful specimens of Crepe Myrtles throughout her beloved city. The Crepe Myrtles Ms. Ballard established have made Natchez the “Crepe Myrtle Capital of the World!
Interestingly, Saturday events also coincide with the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year, thus marking the first day of summer!
Interestingly, Saturday events also coincide with the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year, thus marking the first day of summer!
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PONTALBA EXHIBIT LECTURE SERIES
6:00PM TO 7:00PM IN THE CABILDO,
ON THE 2ND FLOOR GALLERY
**LIGHT RECEPTION FROM 5:30PM TO 6:00PM
This Thursday, January 17, my talented friend and Guest Curator, Randolph Delehanty, Ph.D., will lead the exhibition lecture at the Cabildo. I encourage you to go and soak in the rich history and the backstory of the Baroness de Pontalba and the Rise of Jackson Square Exhibition.
This is the first of three different talks regarding the exhibit presented by the Louisiana Museum Foundation (LMF) and the Louisiana State Museum. Visit the LMF's facebook page for more details.
The talk is complimentary. I hope to see you there and encourage you to join me in supporting the LMF.
6:00PM TO 7:00PM IN THE CABILDO,
ON THE 2ND FLOOR GALLERY
**LIGHT RECEPTION FROM 5:30PM TO 6:00PM
This Thursday, January 17, my talented friend and Guest Curator, Randolph Delehanty, Ph.D., will lead the exhibition lecture at the Cabildo. I encourage you to go and soak in the rich history and the backstory of the Baroness de Pontalba and the Rise of Jackson Square Exhibition.
This is the first of three different talks regarding the exhibit presented by the Louisiana Museum Foundation (LMF) and the Louisiana State Museum. Visit the LMF's facebook page for more details.
The talk is complimentary. I hope to see you there and encourage you to join me in supporting the LMF.
A Creole Christmas at the Lighting of the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans
From left: Pierre de Pontalba, his mother and father, Isabelle and Charles-Edouard, Baron & Baroness de Pontalba
are flanking me - 2nd from right, Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans. Photo by Grevy Photography
From left: Pierre de Pontalba, his mother and father, Isabelle and Charles-Edouard, Baron & Baroness de Pontalba
are flanking me - 2nd from right, Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans. Photo by Grevy Photography
Dear Friends,
One of the most exciting moments of my life happened: helping the Louisiana State Museum and the Louisiana Museum Foundation celebrate the New Orleans Tricentennial.
My friends, the Baron & Baroness de Pontalba and their family, came to New Orleans from France for this epic event: The Founders Ball and the launch of the Baroness Pontalba & the Rise of Jackson Square Exhibition at the Cabildo.
One of the most exciting moments of my life happened: helping the Louisiana State Museum and the Louisiana Museum Foundation celebrate the New Orleans Tricentennial.
My friends, the Baron & Baroness de Pontalba and their family, came to New Orleans from France for this epic event: The Founders Ball and the launch of the Baroness Pontalba & the Rise of Jackson Square Exhibition at the Cabildo.
| I'm still pinching myself that this all really happened! It's been a thrill of my life to meet the Pontalbas at their family home château de Mont-l'Eveque, near Senlis, France, and to reconnect them to their Louisiana heritage. Merry Christmas and my best wishes for a Happy New Year! MY BEST FROM BOURBON, Peter Patout Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser said it best: “For a city so steeped in history, to be able to showcase an exhibit as important to the development of Jackson Square, the focal point of the city of New Orleans, is historical in and of itself. The legacy Don Andrés Almonester and his daughter, Baroness Micaela de Pontalba, left on the architecture and culture of the city attracts millions of visitors every year,” |  At left: Isabelle, Baroness de Pontalba's dream fulfilled to hear Jazz at Preservation Hall. It was magical! |
Above: Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser - in the middle - lights the way at the Roosevelt Hotel,
and greets Baron and Baroness de Pontalba and Pierre de Pontalba to New Orleans!
and greets Baron and Baroness de Pontalba and Pierre de Pontalba to New Orleans!
Dear Friends, I am proud to offer a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in the New Orleans Tricentennial: a chance to meet Charles-Edouard and Isabelle, Baron and Baroness de Pontalba and family members - direct descendants of Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba.
The luncheon includes two speakers, sumptuous hȃute Creole Cuisine and drinks, and is generously sponsored by Tableau as a benefit for the Louisiana Museum Foundation. We are thankful to Dickie Brennan and his team for their support.
Pontalba family historian, Pierre de Pontalba will share his family’s legacy in France and New Orleans. Louisiana State Museum guest exhibition Curator Randolph Delehanty, PhD will preview the exhibition that will open Saturday, December 1 at the Founders Ball, and to the public on Sunday, December 2 at The Cabildo.
Pontalba family historian, Pierre de Pontalba will share his family’s legacy in France and New Orleans. Louisiana State Museum guest exhibition Curator Randolph Delehanty, PhD will preview the exhibition that will open Saturday, December 1 at the Founders Ball, and to the public on Sunday, December 2 at The Cabildo.
 | Tableau Restaurant at 616 St. Peter Street, site of Tricentennial Luncheon with the Baron & Baroness Pontalba Interestingly, the first Baron, Joseph Xavier Pontalba, owned a home on the property that's now the Tableau Restaurant site - which overlooks the Cabildo, upper Pontalba building and Jackson Square (the Almonester and Pontalba families are directly responsible for all of these important buildings). Dripping with rich Louisiana French cultural history spanning four centuries, this Tricentennial Pontalba Luncheon opportunity is a wonderful finale to the year. Of course, I'm also excited about the Founders Ball the next night at The Cabildo!  |
Taking a wrong turn six years ago in the French
countryside was incredibly fortuitous! I met the de Pontalba family!
-Read about that wonderful adventure here-
countryside was incredibly fortuitous! I met the de Pontalba family!
-Read about that wonderful adventure here-
Tickets for the Pontalba Luncheon and the Founders Ball raise funds for the Louisiana Museum Foundation which supports the Louisiana State Museum. Luncheon tickets are $125 each, most of which is tax deductible, and can be purchased by clicking this link. Please join us by reserving now. Seating is limited. These remarkable events will sell out.
Founders Ball tickets are $300 each for Louisiana Museum Foundation Members and $350 for non-members.
So, join me for Lunch at Tableau and at The Cabildo for the Founders Ball!
My best to you,
Peter
Founders Ball tickets are $300 each for Louisiana Museum Foundation Members and $350 for non-members.
So, join me for Lunch at Tableau and at The Cabildo for the Founders Ball!
My best to you,
Peter
December 1 At The CaBildo
 | Founders Ball & Exhibition Opening: The Baroness de Pontalba & the Rise of Jackson Square: How a Father's philanthropy and a Daughter's determination created the urban heart and architectural look of old New Orleans This Final Tricentennial exhibit draws on the landmark buildings and rich collections of the Louisiana State Museum, portraits, treasures from the Pontalba Family château in France, loans from other collections, and historic and commissioned photographs to revisualize New Orleans' iconic urban core: Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytère, and the twin Pontalba Buildings. |
SUGGESTED READING
 | It’s been a thrill to meet the Pontalba family and to forge their relationship with the Louisiana State Museum...that helped in turn to develop this incredible exhibition as the finale to our Tricentennial year. None of this would have been possible if I hadn't read this book. Intimate Enemies is one of my all-alltime favorite books about New Orleans: If you haven't already read it, I encourage you to do so. It will deepen your appreciation of the exhibit and what Jackson Square means to all of us. |
Intimate Enemies New York Times book review
Ironwork detail with the signature Almonester & Pontalba family logo from the Pontalba Apartments
 |  |  |
IBERIA PARISH, LA. From Thursday, November 2 to Sunday, November 5, 2017, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art - Louisiana Chapter will host its first foray to the exotic Teche Country. "Sugar and Spice: The Architecture & Art of Bayou Teche, Owen Southwell, and Tabasco's Avery Island" is a premiere event celebrating the classical architecture, history, heritage and art of Iberia Parish, Owen Southwell, Bayou Teche, Avery Island and more.
As a native of Iberia Parish, where my roots run deep, I am excited to share this classical world of architecture and art of my beloved Bayou Teche country. Our foray participants will soon succumb to the exotic eden of café au lait-colored bayous, sugar cane fields and live oaks draped in festoons of Spanish moss. This foray is
an exposé to our national audience; one that will showcase the classical featurettes of our heritage in a scale never been seen in this area.
Highlights of this once-in-a-lifetime Iberia Parish event are:
SCROLL DOWN for a 38-page information packet that covers details such as schedule, registration, region/architecture history, lecture/lecturer topics, accommodation, et cetera. Click on the button below and purchase your ticket(s). ICAA-member and non-member prices available. Thursday, November 2 to Sunday, November 5, 2017.
As a native of Iberia Parish, where my roots run deep, I am excited to share this classical world of architecture and art of my beloved Bayou Teche country. Our foray participants will soon succumb to the exotic eden of café au lait-colored bayous, sugar cane fields and live oaks draped in festoons of Spanish moss. This foray is
an exposé to our national audience; one that will showcase the classical featurettes of our heritage in a scale never been seen in this area.
Highlights of this once-in-a-lifetime Iberia Parish event are:
- Four lectures by four of the finest experts of Teche Country's architecture, history and art.
- Two luxurious dinners at private antebellum plantation houses on the banks of the Bayou Teche: Bayside Plantation and Shadows-on-the-Teche.
- Three lunches, including one among the sugar cane fields on an antebellum plantation estate.
- Private house tours, including Iberia Parish architect Owen J. Southwell.
- Private Avery Island home tours.
- Bus transportation around the foray.
- AIA CEU (pending to early October).
SCROLL DOWN for a 38-page information packet that covers details such as schedule, registration, region/architecture history, lecture/lecturer topics, accommodation, et cetera. Click on the button below and purchase your ticket(s). ICAA-member and non-member prices available. Thursday, November 2 to Sunday, November 5, 2017.
BECOME A SPONSOR
We would be so honored to have your sponsorship for this foray and future ICAA-LA events. Thousands of people of across the country are invited to attend our event.
SPONSORSHIP DETAILS:
To become a sponsor at your chosen level, proceed by filling out and submitting the official ICAA Sponsorship Form, below. Details included in the form.
We would be so honored to have your sponsorship for this foray and future ICAA-LA events. Thousands of people of across the country are invited to attend our event.
SPONSORSHIP DETAILS:
- A sponsorship of this level will support the ICAA-LA educating and encouraging participation from enthusiasts and professionals on Louisiana's classical architecture, art and cultural heritage.
- A portion of $500+ sponsorship level is tax-deductible.
- With $1,000+ sponsorship, your entity would be marketed as a sponsor of the forthcoming foray as well as all subsequent ICAA-LA events for the next 12 months with your logo on marketing material.
To become a sponsor at your chosen level, proceed by filling out and submitting the official ICAA Sponsorship Form, below. Details included in the form.
| icaa_fall_2017_iberia_parish_foray_packet__final_.pdf |
Bayside Plantation
Check your air conditioning unit every summer for efficiency to beat the heat. There are State and Federal financial incentives such as renewable energy tax credits, special loans, and net metering if your system needs updating. Here are some helpful programs:
- Tax Credit for Solar and Wind
- Home Energy Loan Program “HELP”
- Louisiana Net Metering
- Tax Credit for Solar and Wind
- Home Energy Loan Program “HELP”
- Louisiana Net Metering
Hiring a historic window specialist to glaze windows and secure their surround will help to sustain their longevity and efficiency.
- Don’t remove original windows, just repair existing ones!
- Don’t remove original windows, just repair existing ones!
Your house will expand or swell in the summer, just like everything else in the South. Harsh weather conditions will take effect, so make sure you plan according to make repairs to the masonry, brick, wood, or any other façade material after the peak of summer.
- Do any repair work toward the fall months after the severity of expansion has subsided.
- Spend summer months researching historic building specialists in anticipation of repairs. This is a great time to shop reviews and get quotes.
- Do any repair work toward the fall months after the severity of expansion has subsided.
- Spend summer months researching historic building specialists in anticipation of repairs. This is a great time to shop reviews and get quotes.
CULTURAL Insider:
Follow along for my latest listings and top picks to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the region!
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