Winter Wonderland is Nov. 29
The fifteenth annual Winter Wonderland will take place on the evening of November 29 at the AllWays Lounge in New Orleans. The event will feature an open bar, a complimentary buffet, a 50/50 raffle, an auction, a variety show, and award presentation. Craig Nero and Keeley Williams will reign as this year’s royalty. WW 2025’s Legacy and Icon award winners are Catherine and Misti Gaither (Legacy) and Willie Mackie (Icon). Nero is the owner of Who Dat Coffee Café in the Marigny. Keeley is a Paramedic Captain with New Orleans EMS, and a fixture on the television show, “Nightwatch.” Mackie is the owner of The Page bar and currently serves as a Southern Decadence Grand Marshal. Sponsorship tables and tickets for Winter Wonderland 2025 are available here.
Vampires & Ghouls Raise Thousands for the Archives Project
The charity auction at the 37th annual Anne Rice Vampire Ball raised $2,800.00 for the AP and the annual Ghoulish Gala event raised $1,400.00 for the AP. Thank you to the Anne Rice Fan Club and to Jeffrey Dude for organizing these two events. And a huge THANK YOU to all who donated items for the auction! Your support is greatly appreciated.
Southeastern Museum Conference
The AP had a presence at the recent Southeastern Museum Conference in Montgomery, Alabama. Board member Eileen Tomczuk (pictured above with Anne Duquennois) presented on the use of AI in museums. Executive Director Frank Perez also attended the conference. The annual conference attracts museum curators and archivists from throughout the Southeastern United States.
New Collection Donations
The AP is excited to announce it has received three new collections: video footage of Halloween New Orleans’ Lazarus Balls from 1995 to 2012 (Arthur Roger, donor), a collection of photographs documenting John Emrold and Ray Cole (Charles Maniaci, donor), and the journals of Paul Graffeo including video footage of the 1993 March on Washington (Paul Graffeo, donor). The Halloween New Orleans footage is posted on our website here. The other collections will be posted soon.
AIDS Memorial Service
The AP is collaborating with St. Anna’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans to commemorate those we have lost to AIDS. A memorial service will be held at St. Anna’s (1313 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans) on the evening of December 8 at 6:00pm. A reception will follow the service. The service will be recorded and eventually posted in the HIV / AIDS gallery on our website.
