A delicious menu of Cajun and Creole cuisine, the joyous sound of Dixieland jazz and Louisiana Zydeco filling the air, and even the opportunity to consult with a “high priestess of voodoo” – party goers will have a chance to feast on all these ingredients and more on June 8th, when Ridgefield’s historic Lounsbury House magically transports its guests down to The Big Easy. As Therèsa Fernand and her firm Eventures Divine put the finishing touches on this very special event, “A Night in New Orleans,” she took a break to share her philosophy of entertaining and tips on how all of us can transform a party into an unforgettable experience that every guest will talk about for years to come.
For a party to qualify as “extraordinary,” great food and great entertainment are a must, of course – and like a festive Mardi Gras parade, “A Night in New Orleans” promises not to disappoint. In addition to Creole delicacies, drawing on European influences, there will be tasty Cajun dishes like oyster “po-boy” sandwiches and even the city’s legendary beignets (New Orleans style “fritters”) for dessert. Guests can prepare to dance to Dixieland jazz evoking the city’s ambassador of music, the great Louis Armstrong – followed by Cajun tunes that will have everyone out of their seats, “cutting the rug.” For many guests, music and food like this will evoke memories of the revelry on Bourbon Street – and Therèsa Fernand and her team has some special plans in that regard, too – bourbon tasting, specialty cocktails like the “Hurricane” and “Sazarac.” For “lagniappe” (a little something extra, as Louisiana natives describe it) guests will have a chance to have their fortune told by one actor channeling “Voodoo Queen.” They will also be able to talk with “Connecticut Yankee” Mark Twain, who worked as a steamboat pilot along the Mississippi River as a young man before becoming an internationally famous author and then joining us here in New England in his later years.
If this sounds like a festive and eclectic “stew” (or gumbo) of ingredients, it should come as no surprise that the host and organizer of the evening has a unique and fascinating background too. Before becoming a designer of fully engaging experiential events – or, as she announces on her business card, an “anamorphic catalyst” – Therèsa Fernand enjoyed entertaining others from her earliest years, then in the restaurant business before moving into corporate consulting where she applied her insights into human nature that comes from her work as an intuitive medium. Drawing on this unique skill set and background, she offers a few tips on how others can host a great event – even if it’s not quite as “over the top” as the one she has planned for the Lounsbury House!
- Offer your guests a “passport,” not just an invitation. As she did with the guests who attended the “Italian Carnival” Therèsa and Eventures Divine hosted recently in Briarcliff Manor, New York discovered, a great event “transports” guests to another place and time. Framing some photo enlargements of 1920s New Orleans, for example, combined with music (live or recorded) from an earlier era can set this tone beautifully.
- Encourage your guests to “enter into the spirit of the event” through costumes or accessories. To enter the historic home for the “Italian Carnival,” each guest was required to wear a Venetian-style mask, and she encourages those who will be reveling in “A Night in New Orleans” to “accessorize” – perhaps a Panama hat and/or suspenders for men, and a feathered hat and a string of pearls for ladies.
- Give each guest something special to enjoy. Therèsa Fernand realizes that some guests will be drawn to the upcoming event in Ridgefield by the Dixieland jazz and others will love the idea of a chance to talk with “Mark Twain,” all while enjoying a great meal.
- Opportunities for participation are important. We’ve all been guests at a wedding where we are somewhat “on the periphery” – not a member of the family, and perhaps seated at a table with people we’ve never previously met. Having a “guest teacher” who engages each and every guest – perhaps on the different qualities of various bourbons, or how to play a winning hand of poker – can open people up, and inspire them to make new friends.
Tickets for “A Night in New Orleans” can be purchased online by clicking here