ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
The St. Tammany Art Association annual “Spring for Art” festival is scheduled for April 10 and will feature new work of nationally known local artist Paulo Dufour. The 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. event will be somewhat restricted by COVID guidelines, but will mark a “re-imagining” of the association’s “Art House” and its place in the cultural and economic life of Covington and St. Tammany.
Dufour’s work includes an array of blown and sculpted glass pieces, paintings and sculptures representing the metaphysical and informing the emergence of STAA from the impact of the pandemic. Dufour retired in 2016 from the St. Tammany Parish Talented Art Program, where he taught in the public school system for 28 years.
“Spring for Art” will feature coordinated openings and events across downtown Covington, again with some restrictions, but it will still signal the muted resumption of the city’s pre-COVID life, said Cathy Deano, newly elected president of STAA. “We are re-imagining the association in a way that will incorporate all of the arts, such as theater and poetry, for example, and be more of a community center for art that will engage more young people.”
Consult the association’s website and Facebook page for more information.
EASTER EVENTS
TUTUS & EARS are welcomed, even encouraged, by participants and supporters of the fourth annual Bunny Hop 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run & Walk benefiting Basket of Hope on March 27 in Madisonville. The events begin and end at the Madisonville Park & Playground, 1007 Pine St. On-site registration at 7 a.m.; fun run and walk starts at 8 a.m., followed at 8:30 a.m. by the 5K, which is equivalent to 56,789 bunny hops along the Tchefuncte River. Post-race activities include a socially distanced craft table for kids; photos with the Easter Bunny; and awards for best adult and best child’s costume. Basket of Hope is active in children’s hospitals across the north shore, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, where young patients — their siblings and parents — and presented with age-appropriate gift baskets for fun and “Hope Totes” to nourish. Visit www.basketofhope.org/la or the Facebook page.
SPRING FAMILY FEST at the St. Tammany Children’s Museum on March 28 includes an egg hunt, other children’s activities and refreshments, all outdoors on the lawn of the facility at 21404 Koop Drive in Mandeville. Tickets are $26 per person for everyone over the age of 12 months, and each specifies a two-hour block of time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. A limited number of tickets are available at https://cmstkids.org.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
FOLSOM SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 10 at Midway Church Park, 82424 La. 25 (next door to the post office). Free to attend, but no pets, please. Buy for spring planting from Louisiana growers who will answer questions on-site. Plenty of parking, but customers are reminded to bring plant wagons to help with shopping and transport to their vehicles.
TENNIS TOWN HALL meeting at 10 a.m. on April 17 will give residents a chance to hear about plans for the city tennis courts. Meet at Henry J. Calamari Memorial Tennis Center (City Courts), and if it rains, go instead to the John Slidell Park Gym, 105 Robert Blvd. Hear from Mayor Greg Cromer and other city leaders; learn about upcoming tennis events and USTA Leagues; and meet STA board members and sponsors. Everyone should wear their STA shirts; the oldest shirt wins a prize. Door prizes, refreshments and snacks provided. Bring your own lawn chair. No donations will be requested at this meeting.
WOOFSTOCK community veterinary clinic is back at the Northshore Humane Society to provide reduced-cost vaccines, microchipping and heartworm and flea prevention through June 30 in Covington. Annual vaccinations are $75; other shots will be available a la carte; microchipping only $15 per pup; and deeply discounted heartworm and flea prevention while supplies last. Call (985) 892-7387, ext. 3, or email clinic@nshumane.org.
BEAUTY: Magnolia Forest named its March Garden of the Month winners as Joe and Carolyn Wilbourn, at 201 Woodlawn. Chosen for neat landscaping highlighted with freshly mulched garden beds; an attractive spiral sculptured cedar; and gardens featuring sweet olives, sasanquas, Knock Out roses, day lilies, Easter lilies, azaleas, agapanthus and crepe myrtles.
FUNDRAISERS
NORTHSHORE TECHNICAL Community College hosts sixth annual Chancellor’s Sunrise Breakfast on April 1 to raise money for scholarships. Due to COVID, the seating at Benedicts is limited to presenters, scholarship recipients and donors, but supporters can purchase discounted Go Virtual sponsorships that provide the same marketing and philanthropic benefits; event will be livestreamed for them. Visit www.northshorecollege.edu to buy tickets. Joan Coffman, president and CEO of St. Tammany Health System, will speak at the 7:30 a.m. breakfast.
RAISING THE ROOF for charity, an annual project of Northshore Home Builders Association, is now selling $100 raffle tickets for a chance to win a new three-bed home in Covington or some of the $5,000 worth of mini prizes being given away during four separate drawings on April 15, June 15, July 13 and Sept. 13. The grand prize drawing for the home is set for Sept. 26. Proceeds this year to benefit NAMI St. Tammany, CAC Hope House and Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West. Buy tickets online at http://ow.ly/zeG050DG2xg.
TEE UP and play in the 19th annual Northshore Food Bank Golf Tournament on May 11 at Beau Chene Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Amateur scramble format with four-player teams. 10 a.m. registration with 11:30 a.m. shotgun start. Contact events@northshorefoodbank.org or call (985) 893-1485 for more information or to sign up.
SAVE THE DATES
PICNIC WITH A PURPOSE is scheduled for May 8, and Safe Haven Foundation is hoping that its third annual fundraising event of the year is a charm. It’s a family-friendly, drive-thru event to help support the Safe Haven mission of providing high-quality, coordinated, sustainable and humane network of behavioral health care anchored in St. Tammany Parish. Patton’s Caterers will prepare fresh Louisiana seafood for pickup in two locations: Patton’s Caterers, Salmen-Fritchie House, 127 Cleveland Ave. in Slidell, and First Baptist Church, 16333 La. 1085 in Covington. Picnic sponsorships are available. Visit www.picnicwithapurpose.org or follow on Facebook to learn more about sponsorships, presale tickets and additional event details as they unfold. Learn more about Safe Haven at www.safehavenstp.org.
WINE TASTING tickets are on sale now in support of A Taste of Covington, scheduled for June 1-30. Sponsorships are available for this 10th anniversary, monthlong celebration of food, wine, music and art, a project of the Covington Business Association. Visit ATasteofCovington.com.
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