Mary Staes
Mary Staes is Digital Content Lead for Very Local. She works with our freelancers and crafts content for our social media platforms and website. Before Very Local, she worked with CBS affiliate WWL-TV as a web producer and weekend assignment editor for about 4 years. She has also handled broadcast coverage for 160 Marine Reserve training facilities while she served as an active duty Marine. As a native New Orleanian, she takes being "very local" to heart. She loves being intertwined with the culture and figuring out how there are less than two degrees of separation between us all, whether we're natives or not.
Magazine Street’s Ghost Manor won’t happen in 2020
According to Ghost Manor’s Facebook page, the animatronic light show won’t be running this year because of social distancing measures.
Help the nation’s oldest WWII veteran celebrate his 111th birthday
Since the threat of COVID-19, there won’t be a celebration at the museum for Brooks’ birthday. Instead, the museum is asking people to send birthday cards that’ll be delivered to Mr. Brooks.
How a local artist is paying homage to Black New Orleans
Jacq Francoi$ is a local artist who pays homage to Black New Orleans culture with his limited runs of highly-collectible and buzzworthy art pieces.
What’s Happening (Virtually) in New Orleans This Weekend: July 3-6
Things are slowly returning to normal, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had online if you’re not quite ready yet! Here are some of the events we’re most looking forward to in Virtual New Orleans this weekend.
How a New Orleans cosmetic chemist got her line of travel-inspired nail polishes into Walmart
New Orleans entrepreneur Mari Alejos-Puente is taking you on a trip with her globally-inspired cosmetic line, born out of her love for travel and nail polish.
Wicks NOLA creates scents, movement through wax and fire
Local entrepreneur Tiffany Brown took her love of candles and the city of New Orleans, combining them to make Wicks NOLA. Her brand of unique scents reflects the culture of the city and even provides a way to give back to the community.
If we ain’t brunching out, we’re getting #Brunchfaced at home
Here’s what you need to live your best brunch life in your own house.
What’s Happening This Week (Virtually) in New Orleans: June 22-26
Things are slowly returning to normal, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had online if you’re not quite ready yet! Here are some of the events we’re most looking forward to in Virtual New Orleans this week.
From the Couturie Forest to Big Lake: everything you need to survive a day in City Park
City Park is over a thousand acres of nature ready and waiting for you to explore! From the isolation of the Couturie Forest to the community space at Big Lake, here’s everything you need for a great day at City Park.
New plant parent? Here are a few things to help with your new garden
I’m a reluctant plant mom starting from scratch, but here are a few things that’ve really helped me out since my home garden has taken root.