Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival New Orleans, La June 9-10, 2012

People attending the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival in the French Quarter are in luck. They get to enjoy two more festivals that are happening nearby the same weekend – plus, all three are free of charge. This festival trifecta is known collectively as Vieux To Do.

The Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, held each June at the Old U.S. Mint in the historic French Quarter, offers unparalleled Cajun and Zydeco music from the likes of Grammy winners Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet and Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience. Other past performers include Louisiana favorites like the Lost Bayou Ramblers and Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys. Many fest-goers are intrigued by the site of the festival. The Old U.S. Mint is home to the largest collection of early and modern jazz artifacts in the city. Also on display are old coins minted at the facility when it was still operational, and artifacts from when the city was under French and Spanish rule.

The Mint hosts the Louisiana Seafood Festival the same weekend, so Cajun-Zydeco Festival attendees can enjoy dishes prepared with some of Louisiana’s most popular ingredients: its crabs, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, redfish, trout, catfish and other seafood. TABASCO® Sauce is the perfect pairing for all types of seafood dishes, so be sure to have some on hand.

Meanwhile, the Creole Tomato Fest will be underway across the street at the historic French Market, which dates back to 1791 and is the nation’s oldest city marketplace. For more than 20 years, this charming little festival has celebrated the role Louisiana’s beloved Creole tomato has played in local cuisines and lifestyles. You’ll find more live music, cooking demonstrations, a parade, homegrown produce items and a variety of dishes that feature the Creole tomato, prepared by some of the city’s most renowned chefs.

Directions: The Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival takes place at the Old U.S. Mint, located where Esplanade Avenue meets the Mississippi River in the French Quarter. Heading into the city from the east on I-10, take the Elysian Fields Avenue exit (exit 237). At the bottom of the exit ramp, take a left onto Elysian Fields. Follow Elysian Fields about 1.5 miles to its end, veering right onto North Peters Street. Take the first right onto Esplanade Avenue. The Mint will be on your left. Heading in from the west on I-10, take the Esplanade Avenue exit (exit 236A). The ramp will put you down onto North Claiborne Avenue, where you’ll take your first right onto Esplanade Avenue. Proceed on Esplanade for about a mile. Upon nearing the end of Esplanade, you’ll see the Mint on your right.

For more information, visit:
www.jazzandheritage.org and
www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/festivals/musicfestivals/vieuxtodo.html.