Win a Big Easy Tweetcation from Hotel Monteleone!

Hotel Monteleone is offering a Tweetcation in the Big Easy to the hotel's friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter.

The winner will receive:

* Deluxe accommodations for a 5 day and 4 night stay at Hotel Monteleone
* Complimentary breakfast at Le Café located in the Hotel Monteleone
* R&R in the luxury spa located in Hotel Monteleone
* Dinner at the Hotel Monteleone's Hunt Room Grill
* Breakfast at Brennan's Restaurant
* Dinner at Mr. B's Restaurant
* Sunday Brunch at Arnaud's Restaurant
* Complimentary cocktails in The Carousel Bar
* Complimentary hotel parking or airfare provided
* Complimentary passes to The Historic New Orleans Collection, www.hnoc.org, as well as a $25 gift certificate for The Shop at The Collection
* Complimentary passes to The National World War II Museum
* A complimentary romantic Dinner Jazz Cruise aboard the famed Steamboat Natchez from New Orleans Steamboat & Gray Line Tours
* Complimentary passes to the city's Original Walking Tour or Ghost & Spirits Walking Tour

HOW TO ENTER: Simply add Hotel Monteleone on Facebook or follow @hotelmonteleone on twitter and then tweet or post why you want to come to New Orleans as our guest.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF CONTEST RULES AND REGULATIONS

Halloween on a Budget

Here's a guide on how to spend your Halloween day (and night) without spending a ton of money.

GRAVE HUNTING
What better time to enjoy the beautiful, historic grave yard of New Orleans than Halloween?
Here are a few notable graves that I'll be checking out today:

Marie Laveau - Legendary Voodoo Priestess
1794-1881
To this day, the tomb is the object of adoration and the site of Voodoo offerings, with many visitors marking their pilgrimage by adorning the tomb with at least one large "X"
Buried: Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1, New Orleans
Plot: Tomb # 353

John Kennedy Toole - Author and Pulitzer Prize winner for his novel "A Confederacy of Dunces."
1937-1969
Buried: Greenwood Cemetery, New Orleans
Plot: Ducoing family tomb on Latanier Avenue between Hawthorne and Magnolia Walks


Dominique You -Patriot and pirate
1775-1830
The grave inscription in French reads "Intrpide guerrier, sur la terre et sur l'onde, Il sut, dans cent combats, signaler sa valeur Et ce nouveau Bayard, sans reproche et sans peur Aurait pu sans trembler, voir s'crouler le monde." In English it reads "Intrepid warrior on land and sea. In a hundred combats showed his valor. This new Bayard without reporach or fear could have witnessed the ending of the world without trembling."
Buried: Saint Louis Cemetery Number 2, New Orleans
Plot: D, L-189

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FAMOUS NEW ORLEANS GRAVES


WHAT'S GOING ON TONIGHT:

Halloween on Oak Street, 9 p.m., Maple Leaf Bar, Jacque Imos'. This year's theme is "African Mask Party." Music by Jon Cleary, Sequenon Kone and more. FREE

Voodoo on the Bayou, 8:30 p.m. Pitot House, 1400 Moss Street, New Orleans. Annual Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association fund raiser with cuisine provided by local restaurants, open bar, live music. Tickets are for sale for $40 in advance or $50 at the door (which is a great deal since that will cover dinner, drinks AND live music - all for a good cause)! http://fsjna.org/

Kick off Voodoo Fest with a Free Party!

See DJ BIZ MARKIE,THE KNUX, JAY ELECTRONICA and the fabulous DJ SOUL SISTER for FREE! at the Howlin Wolf this Thursday!


CLICK HERE TO R.S.V.P. !


click here for more info on Voodoo Fest 2009

Boo Carre' Halloween & Harvest Fest

October 23-25 at The French Market
5p.m. - Midnight on Friday; Noon - 6p.m. on Saturday and Sunday

Pick your pumpkin, trick-or-treat, and dance the day away to live music; encounter vampires, Mardi Gras Indians, Living History Project zombies, and enjoy harvest fashion shows. Test out your Halloween costume by wearing it to the Market and entering a costume contest; wander through “Haunted Alley” (Dutch Alley) then stroll down and take in the new sights, sounds, and smells of the recently renovated Farmers Market. Sip cider while sitting on a bale of hay, watch pumpkin carvers prepare for the pumpkin procession, and choose your spot for the second annual Krewe of Boo parade.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT

EAT WELL - without breaking the bank

Canal Mart and Eatery, located at the corner of Canal St. and Broad St. is the answer to your mid-city lunchtime blues. The menu spans from traditional New Orleans favorites to authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

As I type this, I'm eating a huge, delicious bowl of Pho Ga (Vietnamese noodle soup with chicken) that only cost $6.53 - and I'll definitely have at least half left over for lunch tomorrow!

Other great menu deals:
Shrimp Spring Rolls - 2 for $2.99
PoBoys - starting at $3.49
Small Gumbo - $2.99
Homemade Egg Rolls - $1.49
Breakfast Plate (including grits, eggs and choice of sausage or bacon) - $2.99

The kitchen closes around 6p.m.

Comedy is Funnier When it's Free

That's why I love Wednesday nights at Carrollton Station.
Every Wednesday at 9p.m., Carrollton Station (located at 8140 Willow Street in New Orleans) hosts a stand-up comedy open mic night. Think it can't get any better than that? There's also a drink special: 1.75 Domestic Pints and Double Wells.

Buying Furniture in New Orleans - On a Budget!

Awesome Find: Canal Furniture Liquidators

This warehouse is full of furniture that previously resided in hotels and offices, with time period pieces ranging from the 40's to modern, refinished pieces. All kinds of tables ranging from $25-$100, unique lamps for $10, every type of chair you can imagine (averaging $25) and a ton of desks and beds as well. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the maze of furniture layouts give a sort of Alice in Wonderland vibe. No A/C or heat though, so you won't want to hang out for very long - It's an ideal stop for killing the second half of your lunch break.

Evidently this store is no secret - it's been around for 40 years; but the discount furniture warehouse wasn't so easy to find. (Tip: Take Orleans St. as if you're going to the Bayou Bike Shop - Canal Furniture Liquidators is located to the right just before the bike shop).

Open: Mon-Sat. from 10a.m. - 5p.m.
3534 Toulouse St., New Orleans
504-442-5385