Beignet Fest and Po-Boy Showdowns Headline a Full Weekend

New Orleans, LA · November 6, 2026

Fog is lingering thick over the riverfront this morning, but it will burn off just in time for an avalanche of weekend festival prep. Keep your walking shoes near the door — the next three days are going to be busy.

The Lead

The City Council gave the green light Thursday to a critical financial framework for the long-planned Omni Headquarters Hotel, approving a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement for the $625 million development. Backed by Council Vice President Matthew Willard, the measure paves the way for a 1,000-room property with 100,000 square feet of meeting space adjacent to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Convention officials have insisted for years that an attached anchor hotel is vital to keep the city competitive for mega-gatherings that require contiguous lodging. Beyond hosting visitors, the deal mandates local hiring quotas tied to 2,500 construction roles and 1,400 permanent hospitality jobs, while dedicating disbursements directly to the Orleans Parish School Board. The development team now shifts focus to final land-transfer contracts for a block of John Churchill Chase Street before submitting initial site plans to the City Planning Commission.

Local Pulse

Council Weighs Adjusted Property Tax Millages City Hall Councilmembers opened public hearings Thursday on proposed millage roll-forwards to stabilize operating revenues ahead of next year's budget.
RTA Names Justin Augustine Next CEO Transit The Regional Transit Authority selected transit veteran Justin Augustine III to lead the agency's bus, rail, and ferry operations.
Council Honors Retiring Louisiana Weekly Publisher Community Councilmembers formally recognized Renette Dejoie-Hall on Thursday for leading one of the country's historic Black-owned weekly newspapers.

Today's Outlook

High 79°F · Low 60°F — Fog
- Allow extra time for your morning drive before skies clear into mild afternoon warmth.

What's On Around Town

Today

Danielle Mckinney: Shelter Opening New Orleans Museum of Art (1 Collins Diboll Cir), 10:00 AM–5:00 PM · $15 First major museum survey of the celebrated contemporary portraitist.
Preservation All-Stars ft. Mark Braud Preservation Hall (726 Saint Peter St), 5:00 PM · Paid Classic acoustic brass and ensemble jazz in an intimate setting.
Bowling For Soup Tipitina's (501 Napoleon Ave), 7:30 PM · Paid High-energy pop-punk anthems alongside openers Ballyhoo! and rosecoloredworld.

Tomorrow

Beignet Fest City Park Festival Grounds, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM · Paid
Bayou Bacchanal Congo Square, 11:00 AM–6:00 PM
Dinosaur Jr. Tipitina's (501 Napoleon Ave), 8:00 PM · Paid

Sunday

Oak Street Po-Boy Festival Oak Street, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM · Free
New Orleans Saints vs. Cleveland Browns Caesars Superdome, Noon · Paid

Spotlight & Story

Meyer the Hatter
- Founded in 1894 by Sam H. Meyer, this St. Charles Avenue fixture is the South's oldest family-run hat store. Five generations later, clerks still use original antique steamers and wooden hat stretchers to hand-fit felt fedoras and panamas for neighborhood churchgoers and second-line brass musicians.

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