New Orleans, La. -
It's one of the biggest events taking place in New Orleans in the month of August. Saturday, thousands will attend White Linen Night in the Warehouse District. It's an event that's expected to bring money and business to the city.
The Jonathan Ferrara Gallery is located on Julia Street. While quiet on a weekday afternoon, the gallery will be bustling with people, come Saturday night.
Curatorial assistant Matthew Showman says, "It is considered the largest art event of the year."
According to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, about 35,000 people come for White Linen Night. The event features a free block party, with music, food and drinks. And of course, all the local art galleries open up their doors to the public to showcase their art.
In addition to White Linen, the Satchmo Fest kicks off Friday at the old U.S. Mint.
Kelly Schulz, vice president of communications for the Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the events will help to boost slow summer sales.
"It used to be that June and July were our sort of slower months for tourism, and that has really now shifted to August and September," Schulz explained.
Even though White Linen Night takes place on Julia Street, businesses throughout the Warehouse District say they too see an increase in sales.
Preston Titus is the manager of Lucy's Surfer Bar. Titus says, "Definitely during the summertime... typically slower part of the season, White Linen is big for us."
Titus says he's prepared for the thousands of people he expects will visit Lucy's. "We are staffed up," he says. "I'm going to set up a couple satellite bars to where we can accommodate the people walking around. So we have extra staff, extra waitresses, extra bartenders."
Back at the gallery, Matthew Showman is predicting Saturday will be a very busy night for him as well.
"The gallery will be packed. It will be very, very hot," Showman says.
But he says the business that the event brings to the gallery, and the city, is worth it.
White Linen Night takes place from 6:00 to 9:00 Saturday night.
White Linen Night 2011
