Holiday Light Show Set to Celebrate 5-Year Anniversary of Lafitte Greenway
Supernova, the name of the light show that will celebrate Lafitte Greenway’s 5-year anniversary for the holidays this December, is based on the light-based art exhibit called Supernova. Friends, NORD and the Arts Council New Orleans’ LUNA Fete is responsible for this free outdoor holiday display running from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. December 9- 20. The display will include 10 glowing art installations throughout the plaza and brake tag pavilion building. The exhibit will be combined with the LUNA Fete celebration which has scattered installations citywide this year. Although the display at Lafitte is free, patrons are encouraged to make donations to Lafitte Greenway in exchange for perks at local businesses.
“This is an opportunity for us to promote foot traffic and get people to go out and spend money on local businesses that have been amazing partners for the Greenway,” said Sophie Vorhoff, director of Friends of Lafitte Greenway.
The 2.6-mile Lafitte Greenway opened in 2015 as an urban linear park and bike trail. The park runs through the French Quarter, Treme, Mid-City and Bayou St. John. Cyclists and pedestrians can enjoy a scenic path through the four historic New Orleans neighborhoods without having to worry about vehicular traffic.
The greenway is also a great gathering spot for residents and visitors to New Orleans. “I can tell the story of New Orleans by taking someone down the Greenway, from the French Quarter to Mid-City,” said Friends of Lafitte Greenway board member Kevin Centanni.
Those that come to see the exhibit will also be able to visit the new Greenway Plaza. The plaza, located in the parking lot of 3200 Lafitt Ave. in Mid-City, was the former home to the Mid-City brake tag inspection station. The old station was revitalized into a public recreation facility in March 2019. The plaza adds more needed outdoor space for residents and visitors to the city.
The plaza features a 17-foot glowing iris bouquet by William Nemitoff called “Iris of Memory” and many colorful ground murals by Brandon Surtain. The plaza is surrounded by native plants, bike racks and benches. The plaza will also host the Mid-City Crescent City Farmers Market from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays in December.
“We’re doing place-making with this site — which means taking over this space that has been disused and sprucing it up with public amenities,” said Centanni.
The development for Lafitte Greenway cost just under $12 million. The greenway has been a great benefit for the city and its businesses. Along the greenway, you can find new business ventures, outdoor gyms, landscaping, bioswales and housing developments.
“The return on investment is many times that public investment,” Jeff Schwartz, director of economic development for the City of New Orleans said. “When you think of the property taxes and community impact of that area, the return on investment over the long term of those public dollars is massive.”
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