PINK, PIE, AND A HARVEST MOON
Good afternoon, Monroe! Fall arrived today, but summer isn't done with us yet, so we're imagining fall for now: cool mornings, long shadows, a jacket we don't need. It turns real Saturday, when the Harvest Moon rises as the sun goes down and Saturn sits right below it.
In today's Meet Monroe:
- One last Ouachita Live at Alley Park, on the same evening as Dolly Day, the pie contest and a whiskey tasting
- A new Mediterranean grill on Forsythe, and the library's first look at the new Main Branch
- The Celtic Fest is close, and the Levee Jam vote is open
Let's get right into it.
Four of us and one red blanket, water still enough to keep the whole sky. Somewhere around the Levee.
Live music, a pie-baking contest, and whiskey tasting headline this Dolly Parton-themed evening. Proceeds benefit Celtic Fest and the Kiroli Foundation. Doors open at 7:00 PM at Alley Park. Free (donations accepted).
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Adopt A School Meet & Greet Breakfast
Schools, business partners, nonprofits, churches, and community leaders connect over breakfast to support local partnerships. RSVP requested. Free.
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Ouachita Innovators - September meeting
Ouachita 4-H opens its fall STEM season with junior esports and junior robotics, and the age groups now line up with the state competitions. The meeting is at 4 PM at 704 Cypress St.
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Brown Bag Concert Series
Catch Audrey Martin performing live music at The Pavilion in West Monroe.
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Josh Love
Live music at Flying Tiger Brewery, 6 to 8 PM.
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Ryne Little
Live music at Enoch's Irish Pub & Cafe, 8 PM.
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One Bad Day
Live music at Enoch's Irish Pub & Cafe.
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Tammy Martin
Live music at Flying Tiger Brewery, 5 to 7 PM.
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Dolly Parton 9 to 5 Day
Dolly Parton themed events feature a live concert, pie baking contest, and spirits & whiskey tasting with a signature Dolly cocktail. Downtown West Monroe, 5:00-9:00 PM.
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Josh Love Band
Live music at Enoch's Irish Pub & Cafe.
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Austin George
Live music at Flying Tiger Brewery, 4 to 6 PM.
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Orbs Blues Challenge
Local blues at Flying Tiger Brewery, 3 PM.
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The Gin Mobsters
Live music at Flying Heart Brewing & Pub in West Monroe. Starts at 6 PM.
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Thursday Night Trivia
Trivia hosted by Challenge Entertainment at El Azteca Grill & Bar. Gift cards go to the top three finishers every week. Starts at 7:00 PM. Free to play.
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Pie Baking Contest
Homemade pies hit the judging table for bragging rights and cash prizes. Entries are accepted from 4:30 to 5:30 PM at the Pie Contest Judging Tent on Natchitoches Street. Two pies max per person, $10 per pie, and slices are sold to the crowd through the night.
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Spirits & Whiskey Tasting
A spirits and whiskey tasting across from Alley Park, raising money for Celtic Fest and the Kiroli Foundation. Starts at 6:00 PM. Ticketed.
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Plushie Workshop w/ Inique Harris
Learn sewing techniques and craft your own plushie to take home. Inspired by the 'It's Time to Grow Up (No Thanks)' exhibition, only 4 spots left. $50 ($40 for members), 1 to 5 PM at the Masur Museum of Art.
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Boots, Buckles, and Brains Trivia!
Trivia night with the Boots, Buckles, and Brains crew. Find out how much you really know. 6 PM at Flying Tiger Brewery.
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Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting: WHATABURGER
Scissors out for the ribbon cutting at WHATABURGER's new West Monroe spot. The grand opening celebration kicks off at 10:00 AM.
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The Creamery Hamburger Plates
Burger, chips, dessert, and a drink come together on your plate. Pick-up only at the West Monroe High School Pavilion. 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
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Festival of Voices
High school singers join the ULM Choirs for a one-day mass choir. Music is taught onsite, and lunch is included. Free at Brown Auditorium, 9:00 AM.
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Car Show
Cars on display at Flying Tiger Brewery. 4-6 PM.
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A Christmas Story Auditions
Roles like Ralphie, Randy, and Flick are open in Philip Grecian’s adaptation. Auditions are by appointment in Monroe on Sept. 27 & 28.
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High School Band Day
Game day energy against Florida Atlantic at Malone Stadium. Catch the postgame, stand tunes, Warhawk Walk, and Pep Rally as you cheer on the Sound of Today. No cost.
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MAD DASH 5K
Run the MAD DASH 5K benefiting local cancer patients. Traffic delays and road closures hit Forsythe Park from 8 AM to noon.
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Louisiana’s National Hunting and Fishing Day - Monroe
Check out shooting and fishing demonstrations, plus exhibits on LDWF research and conservation. Held at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge at 9:00 AM. Free.
Northeast Louisiana Celtic Festival: Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lazarre Park, 703 South Riverfront St in West Monroe. Live music, artisan vendors, Highland games, a kid zone, food trucks and a fun float, presented by the Kiroli Foundation. $5 admission.
Louisiana Levee Jam: October 15 at Flying Tiger Brewery. One of the three rounds is picked by public vote: songwriters post a video of an original song and tag the Levee Jam and the brewery, and the three with the most likes earn a spot. Voting is open now.
Monroe Symphony League Fall Book Fair: October 3 through 10, with a $2 entry fee per day.
Art Crawl & Downtown After Dark: Galleries in both downtowns open Thursday, October 1 from 5 to 9 p.m. Meet local artists, food trucks and spirits on site, free and open to all.
| Sunrise | 6:56 AM |
| Sunset | 7:05 PM |
| Moon | Waxing Gibbous |
| Temp | 96°F / 35.3°C |
| Sky | Mainly clear |
| Humidity | 40% |
| River | 18.28 ft, flood stage 40 ft |
| Air | Moderate 52 AQI |
Readings taken September 22 at 2:26 PM, Monroe time, from the Ouachita River gauge at West Monroe, the National Weather Service and Open-Meteo.
The Great Greek Is Open on Forsythe: The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill opened Monday at 2600 Forsythe Ave, right next door to Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream. The first word out of its friends-and-family opening was about the baklava, made in house, and about a menu longer than anyone expected. The owners say baklava ice cream is on the way, too. Between the two, Forsythe just became a street worth driving down hungry.
What the Library Will Have: The Ouachita Parish Public Library put out a first look at the new Main Branch on Oliver Road: a makerspace, a podcast room, an expanded computer lab, a new website and a mobile app. It opens soon, and the library is posting ribbon cutting updates.
From the Mayor's Desk: West Monroe's weekly message runs through the road work on Stella Street, Cotton Street and Thomas Road, and asks drivers to use caution in those areas. Mayor Staci Albritton Mitchell's line on it: temporary inconveniences will lead to lasting improvements throughout our community.
Still Dry Out There: Ouachita Parish is not under a burn ban, but there is not a drop of rain in the forecast before Monday, and the fire department has run nothing but grass fire calls for days. Hold off on burning anything.
Hi loved ones. The week filled up fast. Wednesday we were at a track and field meet, and by Thursday everything else took second place: my parents arrived. They landed at noon.
Saturday was our first Saturday as a full house, with swimming in the afternoon. Sunday we took a short stroll, the whole gang this time. On the bridge we ran into a friend, one of the first we made when we moved here. He is a runner, so he has the discipline you would expect, and he is also one of the kindest people we know. Years ago he was the one who told us to sign up for something that ended up meaning a lot to us. He was right. He is proof that discipline and a good attitude make anyone shine.
Later, out on the levee, we let ourselves be taken by how quiet it gets there and we breathed deep. Many times we push ourselves more than we should and end up paying for it with our health. Being in nature is a reminder that most things happen without us forcing them. We just have to let them be.
And a question for you, now that Restaurant Week is over: what did you eat that we should order next? Send us the plate and the place.
Take a Book, Leave a Book: A list of the Little Free Library boxes around town is making the rounds, and it names seven spots: 4200 Matthew St, 1401 Sherrouse St, the one beside the Biedenharn on Speed Avenue, Cole Avenue, 4130 Old Sterlington Rd, 2100 Elmwood Dr, and inside Kiroli Park at 820 Kiroli Rd. No card, no due date, no fines.
The Prairie Trail, Out in the Open: Crews bush-hogged the grass around the Prairie Trail at Black Bayou Lake NWR, so if you've ever wanted to know how long that walk is before you start it, now you can see the whole thing from the front.
Worship on the Bayou, Sundays at 7: First Methodist Monroe holds its Sunday service at 7 a.m. on Loop Road, and you can come by car or by boat.
Harvest Moon. Neil Young released it in 1992, and it's the song to leave on when the moon comes up. Saturday it rises minutes before sunset, so put it on and watch from the porch.
📊 Quick Poll
Which one are you doing this weekend?
(Reply to this email with your pick. I read every one.)
| 🎶 Ouachita Live Finale | 🥧 Pie Baking Contest | 🏈 High School Band Day |
| 🎣 Hunting & Fishing Day | 👟 MAD DASH 5K | 🎸 The Gin Mobsters |
THANKS!
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