NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans on Thursday officially welcomed thousands of people descending on the Big Easy for the Essence Festival of Culture. The celebration has been around for three decades — no easy feat, Essence CEO Caroline Wanga said Thursday during a news conference at Gallier Hall to kick off the … Read more
NEW ORLEANS — The best of Black culture’s policymakers, thought leaders, creatives, spiritual gurus, business movers and shakers, health experts and, of course, musical talent are poised to converge in New Orleans over the Fourth of July weekend as part of the Essence Festival of Culture. The festival kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday. … Read more
TEL AVIV, Israel — In the months since Hamas’ surprise attack sent them scattering across fields or hiding in desert brush, thousands of survivors of a massacre at a trance festival in Israel have come together as a community to heal. They have found solace in massage therapy, ice baths, yoga or surfing with the … Read more
BETHEL, N.Y. — Beverly “Cookie” Grant hitchhiked to the Woodstock music festival in 1969 without a ticket and slept on straw. Ellen Shelburne arrived in a VW microbus and pitched a pup tent. Fifty-five years later, the two longtime friends finally got back to the garden, but this time in high style. The women, now … Read more
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — The Minnesota hometown of Judy Garland, the actress who wore a pair of ruby slippers in “The Wizard of Oz,” is raising money to purchase the prized footwear after it was stolen from a local museum and then later turned over to an auction company. Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where the late … Read more
CANNES, France — The Cannes Film Festival draws glamour to itself like a moth to the flame. Over the last two weeks, the French Riviera spectacular has played host to dozens of anticipated movie premieres, nightly ballets of high fashion on the red carpet and even a visit from the Olympic flame ahead of this … Read more
BELÉN, Peru — In the heart of Peru’s Amazon region, a poor Indigenous community put aside the trials and tribulations of everyday life and celebrated an international film festival with works from countries with tropical forests. Many who attended the 10-day event had never seen a movie on the big screen, and the one used … Read more
CANNES, France — Hollywood royalty is back at the Cannes Film Festival for its annual celebration of cinema along the French Riviera. Premieres bring an elegant parade of stars nightly and moments that become indelible Cannes images, whether it’s Francis Ford Coppola’s return to the Palais des Festivals or French actor Judith Godrèche and other … Read more
NEW YORK — With guests including Paul Simon and Seth Meyers, PEN America will gather Thursday night for its annual gala, a dressed-up, high-profile event raised even higher because some wondered if it would be held at all. The literary and human rights organization has faced ongoing criticism over its response to the Israel-Hamas war, … Read more
CANNES, France — Welcome to Cannes. The annual film festival is always a spectacle, but 2024’s edition may be the most combustible in years. The 77th Cannes red carpet unfurls against a backdrop of war and protest. The #MeToo movement, so slow to take root in France, is now quickly tearing through the country’s film … Read more
