NEW ORLEANS | A perfect night, a star-filled sky and a chilly breeze put everyone in the right spirit as the French Market Corporation rang in the Christmas season at Washington Artillery Park across from Jackson Square.

“The historic French Market was the perfect place to kick off holiday traditions in New Orleans,” announced master of ceremonies Kenneth Ferdinand, executive director of FMC. “We are honored to be the first event of the season. Come celebrate and share our rich heritage in the French Quarter!”

NEW ORLEANS | I come from a very odd pairing; my mother and father were quite possibly one of the oddest couples I have ever encountered. The one similarity that always comes to mind is that both of them could illicit laughter from a group at the drop of hat. My mom is very funny and almost anyone who knows her will attest that she can find the comedy in just about any situation you give her. My dad was the kind of man who was very quiet, until a drop of Dixie Beer hit his lips and suddenly he was Don Rickles.

The weather outside has been just glorious lately, no? The deep blue of the sky and - finally! - fall crisp in the air make me want to get outside and stay there until the sun goes down, longer if I have a blanket handy.

You think so, too? Well, you're in luck; I have an excuse for you to do exactly that!

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, North Rampart Main Street, Inc. presents its third annual North RampART Festival, complete with all of the New Orleans festival necessities: food, music and space for a lawn chair. Even if the sun isn't shining, the festival will go on and promises a good time.

NEW ORLEANS | The city plans to hold its first bond sale in two years next month, though the outcome of three high-stakes meetings with rating agencies could push it back again.

Mayor Ray Nagin wants to use the proceeds from the $40 million sale to help keep New Orleans' street projects on track. Some of the highest profile city work since Hurricane Katrina has involved roads, with orange cones and blocked lanes now snarling traffic in some rebuilding neighborhoods. Nagin said there have been no "serious delays," outside of some design work, due to the pushing back of sale dates. But that could change with another postponement.

NFL players Drew Brees, DeMarcus Ware and Troy Polamalu filmed a public service announcement with President Barack Obama that will air during the league's Thanksgiving games.

The 90-second spot shows Obama and the NFL stars playing touch football with local children on the White House lawn. The PSA promotes the league's Play 60 campaign, which encourages physical activity to combat childhood obesity, and the president's community service initiative United We Serve.

NEW ORLEANS | Wearing a floor-length pastel striped evening gown, Sandra Bullock walked the red carpet in New Orleans Thursday for a special premiere of her latest film, "The Blind Side."

Besides promoting the sports drama, which opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, the event also served as a fundraiser for a New Orleans high school flooded by Hurricane Katrina.

Since the 2005 storm, Bullock has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Warren Easton High School, one of the city's oldest public schools, which took on 10 feet of water when the levee protection system broke during Katrina.

NEW ORLEANS | They go by the name Jealous Monk, but could more appropriately be known as Jealous Funk. Fronted by DJ/MC/singer Jermaine Quiz and MC Intelligence, the funky hip-hop band is completed by Kyle Sharamitaro on drums, Dave Hyman on guitar, and Greg Smith on bass. They feature a rotating brass instrument that regularly includes sousaphonist Kirk Joseph of Dirty Dozen fame and saxophonist James Martin of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. The band has also included guest drummers Eddie Xmas and Kevin O’Day and founding guitarist Pete Murano.

The preeminent aspect of Jealous Monk is the band's ability to expose that old New Orleans funk sound to a new crowd, disguising it with hip hop beats and funky scratches. Jermaine Quiz regularly gigs around town pairing mashups of the Meters with rapper Drake, Bob Dylan with Galactic, and others to hone his chops. The group The band has perfected its fusion of hip hop and funk over the years, sharing stages with Johnny Vidocavich, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Walter Wolfman Washington, Big Sam, and countless others.

NEW ORLEANS | The federal government could be vulnerable to billions of dollars in claims after a judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval on Wednesday awarded seven plaintiffs $720,000, but the government could eventually be forced to pay much more. The ruling should give more than 100,000 other individuals, businesses and government entities a better shot at claiming damages.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. | Former Louisiana congressman William Jefferson, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison on bribery charges, will be allowed to remain free on bond while he appeals his conviction.

Wednesday's ruling from a federal judge makes it likely that Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans, will not serve any prison time for at least a year or more.

NEW ORLEANS | NewOrleans.Com announced today that award-winning journalist Brian Allee-Walsh is joining its editorial sports staff.

Allee-Walsh joins NewOrleans.com/Sports after spending over 32 years with the Times-Picayune, including the last 23 covering the New Orleans Saints and the National Football League.