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.

How a local artist is paying homage to Black New Orleans

By Mary Staes / August 5, 2020

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

By Mary Staes / July 2, 2020

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

By Mary Staes / July 1, 2020

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

By Mary Staes / June 30, 2020

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

By Mary Staes / June 29, 2020

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

By Mary Staes / June 22, 2020

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.

City Park

From the Couturie Forest to Big Lake: everything you need to survive a day in City Park

By Mary Staes / June 17, 2020

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

By Mary Staes / June 17, 2020

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.

‘I don’t have to tell you we’re tired’: Being a black mother in media

By Mary Staes / June 10, 2020

“I appreciate you sending me all of this, but as someone who works in media, I’ve seen it all… and honestly, I’m overwhelmed.”

What’s happening (virtually) in New Orleans this weekend: May 15-17

By Mary Staes / May 14, 2020

As stay-at-home remains the name of the game, we’re going to highlight some of the best online happenings going on around Virtual New Orleans!