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New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
New Orleans, LA
April 25-27 and May 1 -4, 2008
For those living in New Orleans, the annual Jazz Fest needs no explanation. We
know what it is and what it means. It means seven days of music
on two separate weekends, the likes of which will exhilarate and exhaust
every music lover. It means every music club throughout the
city will have incredible bands, sometimes playing till the sun comes
up. It means joyous visitors will be on our streets, streetcars,
in our restaurants, hotels and shops. It means music will take over
the city for two weeks. And Jazz Fest does not mean exclusively
jazz.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is one of the best parties
we put on in the state. Each year the Jazz Fest organizers present
us with an unparalleled music experience that reminds us how lucky we
are to live in a place with such an abundance of music, food, art and
thriving cultural traditions.
A mini-village is built at the Fair Grounds Race Course site in the
Mid-City neighborhood, with eleven stages of simultaneous music
programming – meaning approximately 60 performances per day. This year’s
big names include the likes of The Neville Brothers, Stevie Wonder,
Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Tim McGraw, Santana, Elvis Costello, Maze
featuring Frankie Beverly, Sheryl Crow, Widespread Panic, Dr. John, Al
Green, Diana Krall, Keyshia Cole, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The
Raconteurs and Irma Thomas.
Regional music is well represented with a variety of Cajun, swamp pop,
zydeco, gospel, Mardi Gras Indians and brass bands. Just
a few of the local performers include Warren Storm, Rosie Ledet, Jon Cleary,
Wayne Toups, Fredy Omar, Phillip Manuel, Kenny Bill Stinson, Dukes of
Dixieland and the Ponderosa Stomp Revue featuring Tammy Lynn, Archie Bell,
Roy Head, Chick Willis and Dennis Binder.
As you make your way from stage to stage, with music playing from 11:00
a.m. - 7:00 p.m., you'll need to fortify yourself. The variety
of food is an unparalleled representation of Louisiana cuisine. The
more than 70 food booths offer an array of dishes including Muffulettas,
Crawfish Étouffee, Softshell Crab Po-boys, Gumbo, Natchitoches
Meat Pies, Oyster Rockefeller Bisque, Cracklins, Shrimp Tacos, Pecan Catfish
Meuniere and on and on and on.
A stunning array of one-of-a-kind art is available around the grounds
in the Festival's crafts areas. The Contemporary Crafts area is a highly
competitive, juried art fair featuring up to 60 different artists each
weekend - showcasing alluring handcrafted clothing, beautiful leather
goods and hand-blown glass, along with a brilliant array of paintings,
photographs, sculptures and jewelry.
In the Louisiana Marketplace, the state's finest traditional and contemporary
artists display and sell hand-colored photographs, pine needle baskets,
whimsical jewelry, and other creations that evoke the state's unique cultural
history. In the Louisiana Folklife Village, you can see musicians meticulously
handcraft accordions and guitars, and papier mâché artists
create whimsical sculptures for Mardi Gras floats.
Enter Congo Square and experience music and art from Africa and the
African Diaspora. The Congo Square stage features performances by African,
African-American, African-Caribbean and Latino musicians. Shop at Congo
Square African Marketplace for original paintings, sculpture, clothing,
jewelry, musical instruments, and an array of handcrafted artwork.
2008 dates: April 25-27 and May 1-4
Hours: 11am - 7pm each day
Adult Tickets: Thursday, May 1: $30 in advance or $40 at the gate for
all-day admission. Any other day is $40 in advance or $50 at the
gate.
There are a number of limited "packages" available, which
include special viewing areas, admission all weekend, and VIP amenities.
Children (ages 2 - 11) $5.00 in advance and at the gate.
For more information, visit www.nojazzfest.com or call 504.410-4100.
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