Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How are New Orleans family restaurants keeping beloved food traditions alive?
You won't want to miss Courtyard Cocktails: A Happy Hour Mixology Class on the New Orleans Patch calendar
Greetings New Orleans! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How are New Orleans family restaurants keeping beloved food traditions alive?
- How to throw a New Orleans-style NYE with make-ahead recipes
- How Covenant House turned Christmas morning into home for New Orleans youth
Also on today's calendar: Courtyard Cocktails: A Happy Hour Mixology Class and 9 more events.
Find out what's happening in New Orleansfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Today's riddle: What did the clock say when it ran out of batteries? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in New Orleansfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Friday: Fog will lift in the morning, with a high of 79 and low of 64 degrees.
- Saturday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 80, low: 63.
- Sunday: Fog in the a.m.; partly sunny, with a high of 79 and low of 60 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Behind their delicious food, these New Orleans family stories are uplifting others (nola.com) — New Orleans diners are getting a closer look at the family stories behind beloved spots like Leidenheimer, Terranova’s Meats, Jamila’s Cafe, Mời, and more. This year-in-review piece highlights how local restaurateurs are passing traditions between generations, reinventing old favorites, and keeping neighborhood food culture alive in ways that feel like extended family for their customers. 
2. For a New Orleans NYE party, try these recipes for Café Brulot Punch and oyster bisque (nola.com) — If you’re planning a New Orleans-style New Year’s Eve at home, this piece walks you through rich local recipes like oyster bisque, puff pastry spanakopita, and Café Brulot punch made with coffee and chicory. Shot in nearby Chalmette and rooted in New Orleans food traditions, it offers practical, make-ahead tips perfect for relaxed, self-serve entertaining.
3. Holiday joy fills Covenant House New Orleans as youth receive gifts for Christmas (wwltv.com) — Youth experiencing homelessness in New Orleans woke up to gifts, decorations, and a sense of family at Covenant House on North Rampart Street. Staff and community donations helped create a joyful Christmas morning, with presents, gingerbread houses, and support services that extend far beyond the holiday for young people ages 16 to 22.
4. New Orleans driver converts car into ‘Grinch Mobile' to bring holiday joy (wsvn.com) — A New Orleans driver has turned his peeling car into a dazzling “Grinch Mobile,” stringing 2,500 lights and Grinch decorations to spread holiday cheer around the city. He says the smiles from kids and neighbors keep him going, and he’s already dreaming up a Mardi Gras-themed makeover once the Christmas season wraps up.
5. New Orleans content creator turns to AI to make Christmas song (fox8live.com) — A New Orleans East content creator is crafting a Christmas song for his family and faith, then turning to an AI-powered music app to build a full, studio-style arrangement. Working from his Eastover home, he’s blending his own melodies and lyrics with AI’s layered instrumentation, aiming to release a polished version by next holiday season.
📸 Around New Orleans
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🗓 Upcoming Events in New Orleans
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
- Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Read with a Ranger
Prairie Acadian Cultural Center , 250 W. Park Avenue , Eunice
10:00 am - French Quarter - Drum Circle with Mama Jamilah
National Park Service French Quarter visitor center , 419 Decatur St , New Orleans
10:30 am - NOLA ChristmasFest Returns - Let the Yuletide Roll!
New Orleans Chamber of Commerce , 1515 Poydras St #1010 , New Orleans
11:00 am - Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Cooking Demonstration
Prairie Acadian Cultural Center , 250 W. Park Avenue , Eunice
2:00 pm - Courtyard Cocktails: A Happy Hour Mixology Class
New Orleans School of Cooking , 524 St. Louis , New Orleans
2:30 pm - Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Rendezvous in the Prairie
Prairie Acadian Cultural Center , 250 W. Park Avenue , Eunice
3:00 pm - NOLA ChristmasFest Returns - Let the Yuletide Roll!
New Orleans Chamber of Commerce , 1515 Poydras St #1010 , New Orleans
11:00 am - French Quarter - Arrowhead Jazz Band
National Park Service French Quarter visitor center , 419 Decatur St , New Orleans
3:00 pm - New Orleans Drunk Spirits Pub Crawl Tour
Lafitte Hotel and Bar , 1003 Bourbon St , New Orleans
7:00 pm - KIDZ BOP LIVE: The Concert Movie - Elmwood
AMC Elmwood Palace 20 1200 Elmwood Park Blvd Harahan, LA 70123
12:00 pm - Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles
Hotel Peter and Paul , 2317 Burgundy St , New Orleans
6:00 pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Whitney Houston
Hotel Peter and Paul , 2317 Burgundy St , New Orleans
8:30 pm
Saturday December 27
Sunday December 28
Tuesday December 30
Thursday January 1
Friday January 2
Thursday January 8
📣 New Orleans Shout Outs!
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Please help me find Benji
He got out of the yard on December 19 and there hasn't been a sighting of him since. (Nextdoor Mid-7th Ward Triangle) - Update: Found!
Thank you! Has anyone seen Benji? He slipped out tonight! Thank you and Happy Holidays! (Nextdoor Lakeview)
- IHG posted a job opening for Part Time Night Auditor in New Orleans. Apply here.
- Signia by Hilton Atlanta posted a job opening for Banquet Houseperson (Full-Time) *free parking* in New Orleans. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near New Orleans here.
Ok New Orleans! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m out of time.
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