Halloween in the Big Easy...

It appears as though THREE major (okay, I'm definitely reaching on the third event) events will overrun the Crescent City over Halloween weekend. Halloween in New Orleans might be only second to Mardi Gras in terms of sheer madness and libertine tendencies. People here take Halloween SERIOUSLY - I mean, this is a nearly three-hundred year-old city, with the dark underbelly of its history inspiring how many ghost and vampire stories?

The most important news is the Hornets are returning to New Orleans. Their 2007-2008 schedule was announced yesterday. I know C.D. will be psyched about this - he's been adamant about calling them the NO Hornets, despite the fact they've been playing in Oklahoma City for two years. Per NOLA.com:

The biggest Halloween party in town will be at the New Orleans Arena.

The Hornets will open their 2007-08 regular season at home against the Sacramento Kings, marking their momentous return to post-Katrina New Orleans. This coming season will be the team's first full season in the Crescent City since 2004-05. The Hornets moved to Oklahoma
City for the two seasons following Hurricane Katrina, playing nine scattered games in New Orleans while the team and city prepared for a permanent reunion.

Opening night on Oct. 31 will be the first of 41 home games, featuring a youthful Hornets team that was in the playoff hunt last season up to the final week.

(Source: http://blog.nola.com/tpsports/2007/08/hornets_release_schedule_open.html)

And then there's VooDoo Fest, which will this year feature performances from the reunited Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco and your humble blogger's much-adored Spoon and Cold War Kids. Check it out:

http://www.voodoomusicfest.com/2007/index.html

Because of more widespread interest, the festival in NOLA's gorgeous City Park has been extended to three days. Here's a random factoid - did you know that City Park is the second largest municipal park in the country, behind New York's Central Park?

D. and I will also begin what we hope will be an annual tradition - a seven deadly sins-themed Halloween party, inspired by two certain Auburn residents. ;)

Which sin would you dress as for Halloween? And don't say "lust." I mean, "Mean Girls" said it best, I realize, by noting that Halloween is an excuse for gals to dress as slutty as possible...but where's the creativity? Where's the fun?

That said, I plan on dressing as Britney Spears - ratty black wig and all (yeah, I'm so NOT shaving my head). I figure she embodies at LEAST 5 of the 7, right? What could be more fun than that? M. is dressing as La Lohan, complete with powdered sugar smeared on someone else's pants and under her nose.

So, folks? What about you?

(P.S. Welcome back to New Orleans, Hornets players and staff. You've been missed. Here's to hoping we show you the same support we've shown the Saints!)