LONGUE VUE ANNOUNCES STERN LEGACY WEEK, CELEBRATING THE PHILANTHROPIC SPIRIT OF EDITH AND EDGAR STERN
A full calendar of activities culminates with new Community Games Day, a free community celebration in the gardens.
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 17, 2026 — Longue Vue House and Gardens is excited to announce a weeklong celebration of the legacy of founders Edith and Edgar Stern with Stern Legacy Week, October 12 through 17. While living at Longue Vue from 1923 to 1978, Edith and Edgar activated the estate in service of community and spurred social progress in 20th-century New Orleans. Stern Legacy Week invites all New Orleanians to share in that legacy and to make Longue Vue their own.
“Stern Legacy Week is an opportunity to celebrate the values that defined Edith and Edgar’s lives: generosity and compassion, community and connection, and a belief in the power of shared experiences,” said Stella Baty Landis, executive director of Longue Vue. “We’re especially excited to open the celebration to all local families, through our first Community Games Day.”
On Tuesday, October 13, Shared Legacies at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, a partnership with the Chase Family Foundation, will honor emerging opera singer Imani Francis, honor the Civil Rights Era connections between the Stern and Chase families, and raise funds for today’s cultural arts programming by both Longue Vue and the Chase Family Foundation.
Wednesday, October 14, features a book release celebrating the publication of Roberta Gratz’s Fearless Philanthropy: Edith Rosenwald Stern’s Campaigns to Transform Lives in New Orleans. Gratz’s research for this book included weeks spent in the Longue Vue archive. The evening includes traditional jazz by Eight Dice Cloth on Spanish Court, as part of the seasonal Twilight at Longue Vue music series.
The week’s signature event is the seventh annual Games in the Gardens, returning Thursday, October 15, from 5:00 to 7:00PM. The beloved fall fundraiser is inspired by the Sterns’ tradition of bringing people together through sports. During World War II, Edith and Edgar opened Longue Vue to friends whose homes were being made available for the war effort. The friends played tennis and sipped mint juleps daily, calling themselves the Racquet and Julep Club. Games in the Gardens is our modern-day spin on this history and raises funds for garden education programs.
This year’s Games honors renowned traditional jazz clarinetist Dr. Michael White as our 2026 Changemaker for his work as an educator. Dr. White, a longtime Xavier University professor, is also widely regarded as one of the leading authorities and culture-bearers of traditional New Orleans jazz music. His grandmother Natalie Forcia was a long-term member of the Sterns’ household staff.
Stern Legacy Week will conclude with Community Games Day on Saturday, October 17, from 12:00 to 4:00PM. The free community event will feature inclusive sports activities designed to welcome all families to Longue Vue.
As part of the week’s celebrations, a local advocate for philanthropy will be awarded the 2026 Stern Award for Leadership in Philanthropy. This award is given to individuals who not only give generously themselves but also actively inspire others to be philanthropists.
“Community Games Day captures the full spirit of Edith and Edgar Stern and our vision today for Longue Vue: a place where families can come together, play together, and feel a sense of belonging,” said Landis.
Stern Legacy Week reflects Longue Vue’s ongoing commitment to preserving the legacy of Edith and Edgar while making it relevant to the community today.
Visit longuevue.com/legacy-week for a complete schedule and ticket information.
About Longue Vue House and Gardens:
Established in 1921 as a private residence and bequeathed in 1980 as a community space, Longue Vue today blends the educational opportunity of a history museum with the thoughtful design and community service of a public garden. Through environmental stewardship and public programming on our eight-acre, National Historic Landmark site, we honor the vision of our founders and further a mission “to preserve and share a legacy of design, community, and lifelong learning.”
For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Amy Barrios, (504) 621-5646, amy@mmsnola.com