The all-women, all-pampering FestiGals is back at the Hotel Monteleone. The four-day festival kicks off on Thursday, June 21. This is a “one-of-a-kind series of events,” says FestiGals founder Diane Lyons. “CEOs, soccer moms, and retirees will unite to celebrate life, laughter, and womanhood…in a city where food, fun and fabulousness run rampart around every corner.”
The Original Pinettes Brass Band leading the Stiletto Stroll at Festigals 2011.
Included in the FestiGals activities are “Diva Discussions,” seminars and workshops hosted by ten empowered women; a “Culinary Showcase Lunch” by celebrity chef John Folse; and a cocktail tasting by Laura McIntosh. Throughout the weekend there will be exclusive guided tours (both walking and bus) throughout the French Quarter’s private courtyards, a historical trip to the area that was once the famous Storyville neighborhood, and a morning mass at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church.
Friday afternoon, Hoda Kotb, co-host of the fourth hour of Today, correspondent for Dateline NBC, and this year’s “Featured FestiGal” will be hosting the “Bodacious Bras for a Cause Luncheon.” At the luncheon, Kotb, who is a former New Orleans resident and breast cancer survivor, will be encouraging women to bid on bedazzled bras designed by celebrities and local artists to help local and underserved women affected by cancer.
Saturday night will host an exclusive FestiGals “Stiletto Stroll,” where the ladies of the festival will be able to participate in their very own second-line parade that ends on Bourbon Street.
FestiGals festivities start at 3 p.m. on Thursday, with an early check-in and credential pick-up at the hotel. For a detailed schedule of events and information on the weekend’s speakers, go to festigals.org or call 1-855-GAL-WKND.
