NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders will celebrate the grand
opening of its new concept store in New Orleans beginning today, Friday,
Dec. 5 through Sunday, Dec. 7. The 24,763-square-foot store at the former
Bultman Funeral Home located at St. Charles and Louisiana Avenues represents a
significant enhancement over existing Borders stores inside and out and
fulfills the company's mission to be a headquarters for knowledge and
entertainment.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )
Throughout the weekend-long celebration, Borders will be highlighting its
newly created Destinations within the new Borders concept store -- Cooking,
Travel, Wellness, Graphic Novels and Children's -- with special activities,
in-store performances and prizes. These categories are so popular and rapidly
growing that Borders has designated them as special Destinations and given
these categories their own "shop within a shop" look and feel.
During the grand opening and all year-long, customers can explore the
Digital Center -- marked by a three-dimensional, 12-foot illuminated fixture
with multiple computer kiosks and stations dedicated to digital services --
and do everything from download music on demand using Mix and Burn(TM); create
personalized photo books with Shutterfly.com; and publish their own books
using "Borders Personal Publishing Powered by Lulu.com(R)."
Customers can enter to win such prizes as one of five Borders' Digital
Services Certificates, one of two $250 Borders gift cards, a collection of hot
new cookbooks and a copy of Frank Miller's "Absolute Dark Knight." In
addition, Borders will also be giving away a collection of current wellness
books and a $200 Paperchase gift bag filled with stationery, cards and gifts
from the new store.
Grand opening events at Borders in New Orleans include the following:
All weekend: All prizes will be drawn on Sunday at approximately
6 p.m. with the exception of the Nickelodeon(R) prizes,
which will be awarded Sunday afternoon.
-- Enter to win a "Go Digital!" gift package -- includes
select Borders digital services certificates for five
lucky winners;
-- Enter to win one of two $250 Borders gift cards;
-- Enter to win a Paperchase $200 gift bag filled with
stationery, cards and gifts;
-- Enter to win a Seattle's Best Coffee $200 gift basket;
-- Enter to win a $300 collection of current cookbooks;
-- Enter to win a $250 collection of current wellness books;
-- Enter to win a copy of Neil Gaiman's "The Absolute
Sandman Vol. 1";
-- Enter to win a $200 collection of Putomayo CDs;
-- Sunday afternoon six lucky children will win
Nickelodeon(R) Dora the Explorer Game Houses.
Friday, Dec. 5:
-- 3 p.m. -- Meet Curious George for storytime and receive a
free photo;
-- 4 p.m. -- Author Walter Greaves Cowan will sign his book
"Louisiana Governors: Rulers, Rascals, and Reformers";
-- 4 p.m. -- Join author Julia Reed for a fun look at
southern cooking and entertaining as she reads from her
book "Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern
Specialties";
-- 4 p.m. -- Chef Andrea takes us into his home kitchen for
food your mama and grandma used to make in his cookbook
"My Home is Your Home";
-- 5:30 p.m. -- Satisfy your sweet tooth with free chocolate
and confection samples until 9 p.m.;
-- 6 p.m. -- Kick off your weekend jamming to the booming
brass sounds of the New Orleans favorite the Rebirth
Brass Band;
-- 6 p.m. -- Enjoy wine tasting with the Wine Institute of
New Orleans. Customers will also enjoy a wine and cheese
pairing and have their questions answered about wine;
-- 7 p.m. -- Get fit and improve your self-confidence with
the New Orleans Adventure Boot Camp;
-- 7:30 p.m. -- Hear the future of jazz from the Monk
Institute Ensemble, made up of gifted young musicians
studying at the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz;
-- 8 p.m. -- Discover the centuries old Chinese art for
health, meditation and self-defense from Tamashii Tai
Chi;
-- 9 p.m. -- Get ready for an indie-pop set that will leave
you wanting to hear more from local band the Big Blue
Marble.
Saturday, Dec. 6:
-- 9 a.m. -- Cecilia Dartez reads "Jenny Giraffe Discovers
The French Quarter." Kids will be enchanted by this
charming tale;
-- 10 a.m. -- Enjoy lots of laughs as kids get their faces
colorfully decorated until noon;
-- 10 a.m. -- Don't miss the crazy stilt-walker roaming the
store;
-- 10 a.m. -- Customers can learn about New Orleans
Children's Health Project, an organization that was
formed following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina,
and donate a Borders "Chaucer the Bear" to benefit the
kids they help;
-- 11 a.m. -- The Baton Rouge Big Buddy program brings
together WordPlay and NOYS for a lively demonstration of
performance poetry during the Spoken Word Poetry session;
-- 11:30 a.m. -- Enjoy a sweet treat with Winnie the Pooh as
we listen to one of his favorite stories during
Honeybrunch with Pooh. Have your picture taken and
receive a free photo from Borders;
-- Noon -- Experience the eclectic blend of Latin shuffles,
jazz, gritty funk and Basin Street horns from The
Iguanas;
-- Noon -- Meet some of the stars of the New Orleans
literary scene during our New Orleans author showcase
including Dave Dixon, Irwin Lachoff, Kerri McCaffety,
Monica Pierre, Dominic Massa, Catherine Campanella, Scott
Faragher, S. Derby Gisclair and Catherine C. Kahn;
-- 1-3 p.m. -- Many of the city's best known psychics will
reveal fortunes through palm reading, tarot cards and
astrology;
-- 1 p.m. -- Satisfy your sweet tooth with free chocolate
and confection samples;
-- 2 p.m. -- Swedish singer Theresa Andersson, who has made
New Orleans her home, will charm you with her
effervescent vocals;
-- 3 p.m. -- Mary Jo and Bhrett McCabe from the mother-son
radio show "The Psychic and The Doc" use science and the
supernatural to deal with your everyday problems;
-- 3 p.m. -- Discover our state's celebrated chefs,
restaurants and festivals with Louisiana Culinary
Trails;
-- 3 p.m. -- Kids of all ages will be captivated by a
delightful puppet show;
-- 3 p.m. -- Meet renowned restaurateur Ralph Brennan
who has helped define seafood cooking;
-- 3:30 p.m. -- Celebrate New Orleans' musical heritage as
the Pinettes and the Wild Magnolias parade up St.
Charles Avenue and into the store. Join the parade!
-- 4 p.m. -- Listen to the big, bold sound of the Pinettes
Brass Band, the world's only all-female brass band. They
will have you dancing throughout the store;
-- 4:45 p.m. -- The Wild Magnolias will amaze you with their
ornate costumes and irresistible folk-influenced music;
-- 5 p.m. -- Take a sip of the spirit of New Orleans as
Celebration Distillation reveals the legacy of old New
Orleans rum during Borders' Rum Revelry;
-- 5:30 p.m. -- Columnist Chris Rose, author of "1 Dead in
Attic," recounts the first four harrowing months
post-Katrina in New Orleans;
-- 6 p.m. -- Offbeat Magazine presents "Saturday Night Music
Fest," an evening of music by rising stars on the local
scene including Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, the
Joe Krown Organ Trio, Los Po-Boy-Citos and Paul Sanchez.
Sunday, Dec. 7:
-- 10:30 a.m. -- Giggles will abound as kids get their faces
colorfully decorated;
-- 11 a.m. -- Enjoy a special performance and storytime with
author Johnette Downing reading "Today is Monday in
Louisiana";
-- 12:30 p.m. -- Meet Dora the Explorer! Dora will join us
for a storytime and Nickelodeon(R) games, puzzles and
giveaways. Plus, Dora will return at 1:15 p.m. for a
photo opportunity and free photos;
-- 1 p.m. -- Make the move to improve your health during our
free health screening as Touro Infirmary answers your
health questions;
-- 1 p.m. -- Experience down-home Louisiana cooking in our
local cookbook author showcase featuring recipes from
Frank Davis, Mike Lane, Kit Wohl and Dale Curry;
-- 2 p.m. -- Salute the brave rescue workers of the New
Orleans Fire Department as they give tours of one of the
high-tech engines used to fight fires;
-- 3 p.m. -- Savor the flavors of New Orleans as Culinary
Concierge Magazine presents four of the city's top chefs:
Dickie Brennan, Michelle McRaney, Richard Stewart and
Susan Spicer during our Foodie Fest;
-- 3 p.m. -- Unleash your inner artist with advice from Eli
Ivory, the visionary creator of "Ivory Comics";
-- 3:30 p.m. -- Mackie Shilstone, fitness guru to the pros,
helps you get into tip-top shape with his book, "Lean &
Hard";
-- 4 p.m. -- Emerging artist Lindsay Rae Spurlock will
jump-start your evening with a soulful performance of
indie-pop music;
-- 5:30 p.m. -- Take the first step in getting fit. Discover
the benefits of a proper diet and exercise program from
the professionals at Nikken Wellness;
-- 7 p.m. -- Wrap up your weekend with Dr. Michael White's
New Orleans- styled jazz, inspired by Creole and Blues.
Throughout the grand opening weekend and all year long, the new Borders
concept store will offer customers in the New Orleans community benefit days,
educational discounts, diverse events, great selection, special features and a
wonderful place to simply explore. Borders is dedicated to enhancing the lives
of customers through knowledge and entertainment.
About Borders Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a
leading retailer of books, music and movies with more than 28,000 employees.
Through its subsidiaries, the company operates more than 1,100 stores
worldwide primarily under the Borders(R) and Waldenbooks(R) brand names and
recently launched Borders.com for online shopping. For more information, visit
www.borders.com/aboutus .
