A Day at the Races

Last night, at a reception for volunteers and supporters of WWNO (our NPR affiliate here in New Orleans), I had the plesure of meeting author and frequent WWNO contributor Ian McNulty. It quickly came to light that Ian had penned the spot-on Fair Grounds primer that appeared in New Orleans Magazine last season. I'm linking to it here because the article really captures what makes a day at the races special. This guide to Fair Grounds isn't all about gambling, and it isn't even all about racing. It's about having fun, eating well, spending time with family and friends and enjoying a singular New Orleans experience.

A Day at the Races by Ian McNulty

Ian got a lot of attention for his excellent post-Katrina memoir, A Season of Night: New Orleans Life After Katrina, which you can learn more about here.

Speaking of WWNO, reporter Eileen Fleming has been hanging around the barns the past two mornings working on a feature about Thanksgiving Day at Fair Grounds. That four-minute-or-so piece will air next week during Morning Edition, as well as on Paul Maassen's new show, All Things New Orleans, airing Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m.