Crowds gather for the Royal Street Stroll, known for its antiques, fine art and live jazz, on May 19. The stroll, part of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, is also celebrated with the 60th anniversary of the Hotel Monteleone. (Kenneth Hawkins/NYT Institute)

Despite tough economic times and brief periods of rain, hundreds of people strolled in and out of various  businesses Thursday evening cradling half-filled wine glasses on what many called a typical day in New Orleans.

The ninth annual Royal Street Stroll, a major event of the weeklong New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, brought together locals  and out-of-towners to celebrate two New Orleans traditions: good food and good music. Proceeds from the event will go to several charities: Last year, the event raised  more than $125,000 for local organizations.

“I think it’s very therapeutic for the people that live here – for us to be able to come out and just come together and not have to worry about the everyday things,” said Tara Ridgdell, a registered nurse from New Orleans who has attended the event  since 2003.

Participants, holding event programs printed on small paper fans, lined the streets taking pictures and discussing their favorite wines. Shouts of street addresses meshed with the sounds of jazz bands as visitors discussed their next destinations.

“It’s just a very laid-back casual atmosphere,” said Ridgdell. “Everybody just hangs out – good music, good food, good wine.” While job cuts prevented some of her friends from attending, Ridgdell said most people she knew chose to attend the event. Tickets cost $75 in advance and $90 on site.

Adorned in the traditional gold, green and purple Mardi Gras colors, the Krewe of Cork, a performance group that also takes part in Mardi Gras, paraded from the 200 block of the historic street and ended up seven blocks away. “I’ve never been part of a parade. This is amazing,” said New Orleans Saints player Pierre Thomas, 24, who acted as a grand marshal of the Krewe of Cork’s show, along with Saints player Zach Strief.

“New Orleans – I’ll tell you it’s like a family out here,” Thomas said. “Everybody comes together, everybody’s friendly. They love to sit out here and drink, have fun, party down the street and just celebrate whatever it is, whatever the cause could be – just having a good day and maybe celebrate a rainy day. It really doesn’t matter.”

More than 60 local businesses along Royal Street hosted different vendors whose distributors welcomed participants with open wine bottles from behind tables set up inside stores.

From inside Toulouse Royale Gifts souvenir shop, Darlene Dalferes filled the spectators’ glasses with Chalk Hill Estate Vineyard and Winery chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. “I think it will definitely do us justice by having our wines exposed here,” said Daleferes, a representative from Republic National Distributing Company. She added that people seem to love the wines. “Hopefully they will go and buy them in a restaurant or in the grocery store.”

Carlos Valdatta, manager of Rumors arts store, said sales were slow but he hoped the exposure would pay off. “It did bring a lot of people in,” he said.  “It’s generally a good event for this area that all the merchants should participate in because it brings a lot of people that normally wouldn’t always come down this area. Even if they buy a little bit, they’ll still get a better feel for the general area and possibly remember where the store is.”

It rained briefly but most participants ducked into local stores to wait it out.

Anh and Peter Thomas, who traveled from Jacksonville, Fla., for the long weekend, took shelter under a balcony eating spicy shrimp cocktails from Antoine’s Restaurant. “We are here to have fun. The rain is fine,” said Peter Thomas.

Anh Thomas  said: “It’s really nice just looking at the architecture in the French Quarter. It is really very interesting, very neat. Just looking at all the people and watching them is good.” The event has become a tradition for Ann Maloney, an arts and entertainment editor at the Times-Picayune, and Jeri Thibault, a project manager for Wachovia. The two said they have known each other since second grade. Both lived in New Orleans until Thibault moved to Alameda, Calif., some20 years ago for work, but that has not stopped her visits. Maloney had attended the event five times while Thibault has managed three trips.

Maloney summed up what the event means to her. “Really, it’s just enjoying the music and the weather and the beautiful scenery in the French Quarter, and just sipping wine and finding different wines that you’ve never had before.”