The greatest music festival in the world is held every year on the last weekend of April thru the first weekend of May in New Orleans. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, or Jazzfest, is a ten day celebration of some of the grooviest music, food, and people on earth. Even though New Orleans is still suffering from Hurricane Katrina's wrath, most of the city's famed party hot spots have recovered. Here's how to enjoy the party at this years Jazzfest.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 10 days
Here's How:
- Surf the Web for the performance schedule and a map of the Fairgrounds, where the daytime concerts are held. There are big shows every night at various venues around New Orleans.
- Make hotel reservations as early as possible. Rooms are at a premium after the storm.
- Purchase all you Jazzfest tickets online from the Jazzfest Web Site. It saves you money and eliminates ticket lines.
- Dress for combat conditions. Cool comfortable clothing, good footwear, hat, sun screen, rain pancho, and gaudy accessories.
- Park in a French Quarter parking lot in the morning, when there are plenty of spaces, and take the shuttle bus to the Fairgrounds. When you come back on the shuttle after the show, you're at New Orlean's ground zero with a great parking space.
- You are allowed to bring in lawn chairs, party poles, and parasols. No hard coolers are allowed, but a small collapsible backpack cooler will keep trips to the beer tent at a minimum.
- Do not eat before you attend. The food is as stellar as the music. You will be able to get an alligator po' boy, Crawfish Monica, or chocolate-covered strawberries. The iced tea is divine.
- The hardest part about Jazzfest is deciding who to see. Plan out a rough schedule, but allow yourself time to wander and stumble upon something new. When in doubt, go to the Gospel stage.
- Daytime crowds can approach 100,000 on the weekends. If you want to see a big act, get to the stage early. It's gets extremely crowded at times, but most times there will be plenty of room to dance.
- Use the surrounding horse track to quickly get around the festival grounds.
- Bring a cell phone and call your friends in the middle of a show. You can get everyone around you to yell hello too.
- When not at the Fairgrounds or in a club, listen to WWOZ 90.7 fm. The official radio station of Jazzfest.
Tips:
- If you must stay in contact with others, There are several obvious spots for a rendezvous. Consider walkie-talkies.
- Don't expect to actually watch the shows after 5pm. You probably will be too busy having fun.
- Seek out the small hidden stages and food vendors under the grandstand. The crowds are sparse and you'll always be surprized.
