We have three parades this weekend: Pride, the World Naked Bike Ride and a patriotic procession on the West Bank.

Why it matters: They are part of a busy schedule that includes a national Pokémon championship and the New Orleans Food & Wine Experience.

The big picture: New Orleans is packed with LGBTQ+ events this weekend.

• Pridefest tomorrow.
• Pride parade at 6pm tomorrow.
• Black Pride Community Fest at Armstrong Park tomorrow.
• GrrlSpot, New Orleans' pop-up lesbian bar, at the Toulouse Theatre tomorrow.
• Railyard pool party on Sunday.

🍑 World Naked Bike Ride: Riders go as bare as they dare in the annual parade through the French Quarter. Starts at 4pm tomorrow.

🇺🇸 America 250: Celebrate America's birthday Sunday with a parade, field day and drone show in Gretna.

🍴Restaurant Week: Deals continue through Sunday.

⚽️ World Cup: The USA's first game is at 8pm today against Paraguay. Check out these local watch parties.

🍴 New Orleans Food & Wine Experience: Sample wine from around the world while enjoying tasty bites from New Orleans restaurants.

• One event to watch: A grasshopper cocktail demo from Tujague's.

🥳 Pokémon: Top players from around the world compete all weekend in the North American championships at the convention center.

• The merch store requires a reservation.

🇹🇭 Big Easy Thai Festival: Celebrate Thai food and culture Sunday at the Thai Buddhist Temple of Louisiana.

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Trader Joe's opens its Uptown location today.

Why it matters: The California-based grocer is expanding its footprint in southeast Louisiana, raising the stakes in an already crowded grocery market.

The big picture: The Uptown store opens at 9am at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Freret Street, the company confirmed yesterday.

• The space was previously home to a vacant school building.
• Trader Joe's opened its first New Orleans store last year on Tulane Avenue.
• The grocer also has locations in Metairie and Baton Rouge.

Zoom in: Trader Joe's sells products under its own label, and shoppers often view the items as dupes for higher-priced options elsewhere.

• The grocer is known for its frozen items, low-cost wine, creative snacks, fresh flowers, beauty products and customer service.

What's next: The new store is open 9am to 9pm daily.

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🚧 LUFU's French Quarter location is now shuttered, marking the second restaurant to close this week on Decatur Street. (WDSU)

• Cafe Sbisa closed Sunday after more than a century. Both restaurants cited the ongoing construction on their block.
• Mayor Helena Moreno yesterday blamed the Sewerage and Water Board for mismanaging the project. (The Times-Picayune🔒)
• Of note: LUFU's original restaurant on St. Charles is still open.

🎶 Drop the beat! New Orleans is getting two new EDM festivals this fall.

• Freaky Deaky will be at Mardi Gras World on Halloween weekend. (WWL)
• The team behind Hells Gala is partnering with Freaky Deaky instead of having a separate event. (Instagram)
• We Belong Here is bringing another EDM fest here in November.

🍣 Tsunami Sushi is now closed downtown. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

🇺🇸 Sunday is Flag Day. Avoid these common mistakes before hanging one. (Axios)

👋 Carlie here. Looking for brunch plans? Here's why Paladar 511 has earned a spot in my regular rotation.

The big picture: Brunch at the Marigny restaurant is a crowd-pleaser with creative drinks and kid-friendly pancakes.

Why it matters: The hardest part was deciding what not to order.

Zoom in: The jumbo lump crab eggs Benedict stole the show, with a generous helping of crab over cornbread with lime hollandaise.

• We also loved the lemon ricotta pancakes and the spicy breakfast pizza.
• The cocktails and zero-proof drinks are just as impressive. My current pick: the Aftersun, a nonalcoholic spritz with pineapple.

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