Essence Festival 2022
With Janet Jackson, New Edition, Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker, and more, it’s safe to say that the festival brought in numbers. I need to add that Janet Jackson may be the reason why concert tickets went quick.
Essence Festival, you owe me nothing!
I went back to New Orleans for the festival this year. This time was a little bit different. Previously, I went as an attendee, but this time, I actually worked the festival. It was a great experience of meeting new people and networking. I think with the pandemic everyone was ready to be outside. You can tell the joy and excitement of everyone that you met. It was definitely the reunion we all needed. I saw so many people I knew as well and it was the joy for me!
With Janet Jackson, New Edition, Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker, and more, it’s safe to say that the festival brought in numbers. I need to add that Janet Jackson may be the reason why concert tickets went quick. You can purchase a package deal or buy the concert tickets separately. You don’t have to pay to go into Marc Morial Convention Center, but you will need to RSVP to get in.
If you’re looking for a hotel close to the Marc Morial Convention Center, I would say Marriot, Hilton or Loews. I stayed at the Loews and it was walking distance to Bourbon Street and you can walk to the Caersars Superdome if you want. Ubers and Lyft raised their rates and it’s probably best to walk if you can do it. My mistake was not catching a local cab to the airport. They charge a flat rate of about $37 depending on your hotel location.
Although, I didn’t get a chance to go to all my favorite spots, I was on a mission. For reference, you can read about The One Time I Went To Essence On A Budget for food options and my past Essence Festival experience. Next time, I will be going to Morrow’s and Dragos even if I have to fly in earlier to go. I couldn’t wait on line for 3 hours. AbsoluteIy not. However, I did try to squeeze in a few on my last night there. I ran to Bourbon Street real quick and nothing has changed, still crowded. lol I went to the Civic Center for the Hulu Motel skating party. I got VIP tickets for this since my friends work for Hulu streaming. I also went to Pythian Market for the Essence Black Women in Sports brunch. You can watch the YouTube video below for the brunch.
Watch my recap below and read more about my Nola experience.
Ace Hotel
This location is in Warehouse District which is close to art galleries, museums, shopping cocktails and just a short walk to the French Quarter. They had a few after parties for Essence as well.
Gianna’s Restaurant
This is located at the corner of Magazine and Girod Streets in the New Orleans Warehouse District. They offer rustic Italian cuisine rooted in Louisiana tradition and technique.
Pictured: Shrimp Scampi
Not Pictured: Grilled Octopus
Heard Dat Kitchen
This location is Black-owned and is a family-owned and operated establishment. I didn’t get a chance to eat in their restaurant, but they do deliver via GrubHub. This was one of my favorite meals.
Pictured: Benson Boogie (Catfish, Fried Shrimp, Grits)
Dookie Chase’s Restaurant
Founded by Emily and Dooky Chase, Sr., Dooky Chase’s Restaurant became the meeting place for music and entertainment, civil rights, and culture in New Orleans. Now, people have events here or you can make reservations to eat. I went for a fundraising breakfast before Essence Festival started.
Pythian Market
This location is a food hall and gathering space in Downtown New Orleans. In here you’ll find local food purveyors, a fast craft bar, and curated retail vendors. More than a food hall, Pythian Market is a place for community and a celebration of culture and the arts. This is where the Essence Black Women In Sports brunch was held.
ENVSN Festival 2019
ENVSN is a multi-dimensional community, committed to the professional and self-development of Gen Z and millennial adapters and their aficionados. Their programming is dedicated to valuable career and personal development conversations, our platform is dedicated to cultivating the talent, dreams and sustainability of youth culture in an inclusive environment, that promotes collaboration, discovery, and conversation.
Last September, I had the opportunity to attend ENVSN Festival in Industry City, Brooklyn.
ENVSN is a multi-dimensional community, committed to the professional and self-development of Gen Z and millennial adapters and their aficionados. Their programming is dedicated to valuable career and personal development conversations, our platform is dedicated to cultivating the talent, dreams and sustainability of youth culture in an inclusive environment, that promotes collaboration, discovery, and conversation.
The visionary behind this women-empowering festival is Sharifa Murdock, an innovative, savvy, yet compassionate leader in the fashion industry. Laura Styles, a radio personality at HOT97 partnered with Sharifa to bring this festival to life with her many connections in the industry.
The 2-day festival held panel conversations, workshops, brand activations, giveaways and all female djs and performers with the likes of: Tinashe, Saweetie, Queen Naija, Doja Cat, Angelica Vila and more. The festival-goers experienced the best in next-generation food, performances and panel discussions featuring media mavens and entertainers like Angela Yee, Gia Peppers, Karen Civil, Queen Naija and more.
This festival is still fairly new and I think it will expand once COVID is under control. Festivals hold a special place in my heart, but ENVSN focuses on career development and networking. From the girls serving looks to all of my cute prizes, I loved attending because it’s in a small and intimate setting. It gave me an opportunity to talk to women from other media outlets/organizations. They even set up cute backgrounds to have photoshoots in front of at the marketplace, and I thought that was so smart! Of course, I bumped into a few of my creative friends from the industry. It’s always fun to be around like-minded individuals that have the same interests as you.
For more information, click here.
Harbes Family Farm
We ventured out east of Long Island to Harbes Family Farm for the day. They have more than one location dedicated to everyone in the family which is pretty awesome. It is advised to go early because there is so much to do from apple/pumpkin picking, to wine tasting, to the spooky night cornmaze.
Fall has arrived and tis’ the season for a lil pumpkin spice and apple cider.
We ventured out east of Long Island to Harbes Family Farm for the day. They have more than one location dedicated to everyone in the family which is pretty awesome. It is advised to go early because there is so much to do from apple/pumpkin picking, to wine tasting, to the spooky night cornmaze. Please practice social distancing and wear your mask! You will not be allowed in if you don’t have a mask on. Also, keep in mind that Harbes Orchard and Harbes Vineyard are NOT on the same farm. They are less than a mile away from each other. Harbes Barnyard Adventure is located on the same farm as the vineyard. You have so many foods to choose from such as their roasted gourmet super sweet corn, their signature apple cider donuts, kettle corn, fresh tomato mozzarella paninis, freshly squeezed lemonade, and much more. The hot apple cider, fresh tomato mozzarella paninis, and roasted corn was so good! Of course, I plan on going back to try the rest of their food.
A few of you have asked where I got my t-shirt from. Click here to check out my friend, Nikki’s t-shirt line on Etsy called “Legalize Melanin’”. Please support Black-owned businesses!
See below for a brief description of each farm. Happy Fall! 🍂 🎃
Harbes Orchard
This location is for apple/pumpkin picking and is open daily through October 31st. They’re open from 9 AM-6 PM, Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays and 10 AM-5 PM non-holiday. You can stop by the HARBES ORCHARD'S SPOOKY NIGHT MAZE at this location. Admission is $16.95 per person and it’s from 7pm-9:30pm.
Harbes Vineyard
During the fall, Harbes wines are available by the glass or bottle at all of their farm locations. Farmstand & Wine Barn both open until 6. The last call for wine tasting at the bar is around 5:15. Don’t go there at 5:30 for wine tasting unless you plan on buying a bottle to take home.
Pictured: Tomato/mozzarella paninis from their Farmstand! They’re made with Harbes own fresh tomatoes. They pair very well with our Chardonnay or Merlot!
TASTE ANY WINE:
3 for $15 | 5 for $20
Harbes Barnyard Adventure
This is a family-friendly attraction, you’ll discover hands-on learning experiences including farm animals and chicken and bee observatories. There are also fun and games for all ages such as our Gnome Hedge Maze, trike track, Jumbo Jumpers, sports zone, and so much more.