New Orleans on Saturday will commemorate D-Day, a pivotal WWII battle with deep ties to the city.

Why it matters: The Higgins boats built here carried Allied troops onto the beaches of Normandy 82 years ago during one of the most consequential military operations in modern history.

The big picture: The free event at the National WWII Museum features more than 30 Rosie the Riveters.

• These women answered the call to serve by joining the wartime workforce, which led to reshaping women's place in American society, the museum says.

Flashback: On June 6, 1944, Allied forces invaded Normandy with more than 150,000 troops.

• It was the "beginning of a prolonged, costly and ultimately successful campaign to liberate northwest Europe," according to the museum.

Zoom in: Andrew Higgins designed and built the amphibious Higgins boat in New Orleans, using an integrated workforce of more than 25,000 people.

• President Eisenhower called Higgins "the man who won the war for us," thanks to his namesake landing craft.
• The boats were used in every major amphibious assault of WWII. Less than 10 original boats remain in existence, and the museum has the only fully restored, operational combat unit.
• Workers in the city also played a secret role in developing the atomic bomb.

Zoom out: The museum opened in 2000 as the D-Day Museum.

• It has since expanded and now tells the story of the American experience in the war — why it was fought, how it was won and what it means today.

Pro tip: New Orleans and Jefferson Parish library cardholders can get free tickets through the Culture Pass program and Experience Pass program, respectively.

• Military personnel and their families also get free admission through Labor Day as part of the Blue Star Museums program.
• The museum usually participates in Museum Month in August, which offers free reciprocal admission.

What's next: The museum is overhauling its signature exhibit that tells the story of the Normandy landings.

• It's expected to reopen next year.

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Louisiana had 214 surviving WWII vets as of September 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Nationally, about 45,000 veterans remain, compared with about 66,000 in 2024, per VA data.

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Metairie is getting another 12-foot-tall honey bear sculpture on Veterans Memorial Boulevard.

Why it matters: The donated public art is meant to bring joy to residents and acknowledge the musical contributions of the region.

The big picture: The bandleader bear is scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks in the neutral ground on Vets near Melody Drive, Cayman Clevenger, the owner of Orleans Gallery, tells Axios.

• It's part of a second-line bear sculpture series. The first one — a honey bear playing a sousaphone — was installed earlier this year.
• The goal is to add another bear or two, Clevenger says.

Zoom in: The anonymous artist fnnch created the sculptures as an extension of his honey bear art.

• "Fnnch calls the honey bear just a symbol of joy, and I think that's a really good way of putting it, because it's hard to look at a honey bear and be upset," Clevenger says.
• Fnnch is based in San Francisco but has ties to Louisiana, Clevenger says.
• Local sculptor Scott Hebert fabricated the sculptures and fnnch painted them. Henry and Pat Shane covered the costs.

Meanwhile, New Orleans unveiled five new pieces of public art this week in City Hall.

• The pieces in "Voices of the People" represent each of the five City Council districts. Meet the artists.
• It's the first time Arts New Orleans has worked with the city to commission pieces for a specific interior location, says Jordan Koppens, the marketing director for the organization.
• The project cost $135,000, Koppens says.
• The pieces are on display in City Council chambers.

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