New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

[Mayhaw Man]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The schedule is out, the menu is set. All that is left is to order some tickets, get out the big hat and the sunscreen, and slide that little card into the mini bank and wipe out the available balance.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be held as usual on the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May at the New Orleans Fairgrounds.

This event is, in fact, the best of it's kind in the world. The thing is organized as well as any military invasion and generally goes off with out a hitch. Even though the prices have steadily risen ove the last years, it is still an incredible bargain. You will never find a larger selection of music at this price anywhere, ever. For the price of what it costs you to get into a weeknight show to see one act, you can see (literally) 100 acts per day (as long as you can move really fast and run like the speed of light-I reccomend staying for a while and dancing-but it's your choice).

Even if you are as deaf as a hammer or you just don't care about music this can still be an enjoyable experience. There are food booths after food booths and not a hot dog in sight. Local specialties and lots of international food rule the day. Don't eat meat? No big deal. There are plenty of things for even the pickiest of eaters to nosh on . Everything is served ala carte and most items come in large and small sizes. A few of the vendors with more than one offering have a combo plate and if you are looking for a one stop shop for a meal, they are often the way to go. For those of you that have a copy of Calvin Trillin's "Alice, Let's Eat" you will find an excellent description of the food scene at the Fairgrounds (albeit twenty years old, things have grown quite a bit) and I have attached a few links for your surfing pleasure. Be sure to click on "Food" at the top of the home page and check out the menu for this year. You might rethink your springtime travel plans if you stare at that list long enough.

If you are a regular, you may want to check out the "Chat" and "Concierge" forums on the home page. There is lots of good info (including where hotwire is sending people, cheap lodging, ticket deals, etc.) provided by some incredibly single minded (obsessed might be a more accurate term) festheads whose mission in life is to get you to the Jazz Fest (and then complain about it when you show up ).

I have been more or less everyday for the last 21 years. I may have missed ten days or so due to work or something else not very important. That means that I have spent roughly 5 months of my adult life at this event, and I do not regret a minute.

If you are looking for a great eating vacation that allows you to sample the best that we have to offer-there is no better way to do it. This town runs 24 hours a day during the fest. You can go to shows that START at 3 in the morning. It is a completely different vibe than Mardi Gras and many, many people find it to be much more fun. The problem with Mardi Gras is that if you are not connected somehow you will never get past the surface, but with the jazz fest you can just wade on in with everybody else and whoop it up just like the vets. It'll change your life for the better if you just relax and let it.

Happy People Living Free

NOJ and HF Home Page

A cool New Link on the Home Page with lots of Music

Louisiana Food Terms-A Handy List

[rshorens]

Thanks for your post, Brooks. I'm trying to figure out how to combine jazzfest with my medical convention committments(ostensibly the reason I will be in NOLA from April 20-25) Is it necessary to buy tickets in advance, or can you do that at the gate on the same day? Do they ever run out of tickets, or is the gate price higher than advance ticket sales? I was thinking of cutting out of my meeting early on Saturday afternoon, and spending the afternoon and evening listening to music and eating at Jazzfest. The variety of food at Jazzfest booths seems incredible!

I don't know how to decide what to eat! Would you and other egulleteers be interested in doing Jazzfest as an egullet event on Sat., April 24? That way the experienced NOLA eaters like yourself can steer us in the right direction.

Cheers.

Roz

[Mayhaw Man]

Is it necessary to buy tickets in advance, or can you do that at the gate on the same day?

No it's not needed to buy them in advance, although it will save you a bunch of time (and a little money). They are sold by the weekend, not the day (any ticket for weekend one is good for any of the days).

Do they ever run out of tickets, or is the gate price higher than advance ticket sales?

No. They never run out. THey will sell them until they have to stack us in there like cordwood. Actually, there was a day two years ago when Mystikal and Dave Matthews were playing at the same time and there was a not so harmonic convergence of hip hop fans and hippie kids. There were 127,000 paid through the gates that day and frankly it was a nightmare that no one including the management hopes to ever repeat. Most days it is one of the most manageable and interesting crowds you are ever going to deal with. There are virtually no cops there, as they just aren't needed except to support the medical staff. It is a very cool group of people of mixed ages, backgrounds, etc.

I don't know how to decide what to eat!

Well, I would suggest getting lots of small servings of everything. My favorites include the couchon de lait po boy, BBQ oyster salad, crawfish sacks, cannolis from Angelo Brocottas, Quail Gumbo, and my ultimate, every single afternoon for the last 15 years favorite.....da de da....The Softshell Crab Po Boy from the Seafood Galley. I can't help it. I love those damn things.

The variety of food at Jazzfest booths seems incredible!

Let me repeat-For seven days a year it is the best ala carte dining establishment in the World. Period. End of Story.

Would you and other egulleteers be interested in doing Jazzfest as an egullet event   on Sat., April 24? That way the experienced NOLA eaters like yourself can steer us in the right direction.

Cheers.

Roz

Love to. As time gets closer we can figure it out and see who's up for it.

I love the Jazz Festival.

[Marlene]

Sounds wonderful! Maybe, just maybe, we can go. BTW, have you written this up for Rachel to put on the calendar?

[joiei]

Personally, I would recommend cutting out of the meeting like mid morning, if you wait until late afternoon, you will miss SOOOO much great music and dancing and dining and imbibing. The festival usually stops for the day around 7pm. It gets dark. Then you take a break, grab a short nap, get some food in you and head to the clubs to party till the wee hours. THen do it all over again the next day.

[Mayhaw Man]

Personally, I would just hit the sign in sheet and bail-but I do not get any points for my convention and continuing education ethics

[rshorens]

Okay-you all convinced me! We will try to get to Jazzfest before lunchtime.

Brooks, should we wait until closer to the date to organize details and then have Rachel notify others in the area?

Can't wait!

Roz

[lleechef]

Mayhaw Man is right. This is a truly AWESOME festival, we went two years ago, tickets cost $15.......how can you see Fats Domino and 40 other acts for 15 bucks? I was expecting "carnival food"........hot dogs, a few skimpy po'boys, maybe some thin gumbo. NOT SO! Great food, great music, great crowd. Once again, the Crescent City ROCKS!!!!

[Mayhaw Man]

Mayhaw Man is right. This is a truly AWESOME festival, we went two years ago, tickets cost $15.......how can you see Fats Domino and 40 other acts for 15 bucks? I was expecting "carnival food"........hot dogs, a few skimpy po'boys, maybe some thin gumbo. NOT SO! Great food, great music, great crowd. Once again, the Crescent City ROCKS!!!!

No Hot Dogs, No Hamburgers, No Funnel Cakes (not that that would be a bad thing ), No Corn Dogs. We have Hot Sausage poboys instead of hot dogs, COuchon Del Lait Poboys instead of Hamburgers, Crawfish Beignets instead of funnel cakes, and Alligator Sausage on a stick instead of Corn Dogs (these things are better than they sound, picture a corn dog with teally top quality corn dogs ).

Just real food for real people at real prices. And they have some music to enjoy while you dine al fresco. No wine though. Beer and soft drinks only (and rediculously priced water-don't get me started ).

[Kim WB]

Your raves for Jazzfest are well deserved, but for full disclosure you need to disclose that the beer selection sucks.

[Mayhaw Man]

As someone who ran the only micro in New Orleans for a very long time I am well aware that the beer selection sucks. Beer, unlike the food, is controlled by the Fairgrounds itself and the profits go to various groups like Kiwanas, Lions, Social Aid and Pleasure CLubs (it's a N.O. thing), etc.

I have a collection of letters containing funny responses from the Jazz Fest sent to me over the years as we tried to get Abita into the Fairgrounds. I once paid for a banner dragging plane that circled the Fairgrounds extolling the virtues of our fine product and the fact that you could not buy it at the Fairgrounds. All to no avail. I guess that will all change one day, but not in the forseeable future. It is apparently a very complicated issue involving politics and bribery (I suspect, with good reason). A good example is the ice tea at the Fairgrounds. You cannot imagine what went on when Coke came in and announced it would only sponsor the Festival if they were the only caffiene on the Fairgrounds. Giant stink, but fortunately cooler and smarter heads prevailed and the tea lady (who makes her ENTIRE living for the year off of 7 days of Fairgrounds sales) remains with two booths vending both caffienated and herbal teas in large quantities at very reasonable prices. Coffee is still an issue, although there is some very high quality iced coffee available (at decent prices compared to cokes and water).

I never drank much at the Fairgrounds when I used to drink alot (although I will be happy to tell you a story when we meet involving my brother, alot of beer, some rum, a little old lady and some homemade lasagna, and her son the cab driver-it's a great story of poor behavior, bad planning, and luck ). Remember-It's a marathon, not a sprint. Getting bombed in the middle of the afternoon in the hot sun makes for a very long night.

[clothier]

So, my folks, who are regular NO visitors, are going to the festival for the first time.

They have their fav places to eat and stay, but I'd like to have that one little nugget of info that my Mom, in all her research, won't have that only a local would know.

So, Brooks, my friend, (or anyone else)what is the one piece of local knowledge that you can share with me so I can really impress the heck (can I swear here?) out of my mom with something she should she/do while she's there?

thanks

[Mayhaw Man]

So, my folks, who are regular NO visitors, are going to the festival for the first time.

They have their fav places to eat and stay, but I'd like to have that one little nugget of info that my Mom, in all her research, won't have that only a local would know.

So, Brooks, my friend, (or anyone else)what is the one piece of local knowledge that you can share with me so I can really impress the heck (can I swear here?) out of my mom with something she should she/do while she's there?

thanks

First of all-Welcome to Clothier. I know him from another part of the net world and he will be a valuable poster. Glad to see you around.

I do not have the schedule yet, but the Ponderosa Stomp at Rock n Bowl is getting to be kind of legendary with us music nuts. Google on it and you will find tons of stuff from nerds like me who are in love with the event. It is on Monday Tuesday Wednesday between the weekends. ALso the city is having music in Waldenburg Park (or at least they did last year) and it is free and they had a pretty good lineup last year.

As the music calenders come out for next month I will be posting stuff around those.

As far as secret food I intend on listing a bunch of places where you go eat after the Fairgrounds. There are lots of places to go where the 8ish dining crowd is not too bad.

Glad to see you here

[Kim WB]

Remember-It's a marathon, not a sprint. Getting bombed in the middle of the afternoon in the hot sun makes for a very long night.

Ah, that Abita is mighty good stuff. Mighty good.

Luckily, the Jazzfest is not, in my opinion, a "get trashed" kind of event..except for perhaps a few Tulane party goers, its usually an older crowd than Mardi Gras, and the alcohol consumption is not out of hand. But with all that above average Fair Food, its a shame that there is no decent beer to compliment it. If I could suck down a cold Abita along with those crawfish, ah, that would be a little bit of zydeco heaven... We're moving this Spring, so we're skipping this year, but our friends are staying at the Audubon Cottages, which is where we stay and worked hard to secure for Jazzfest week..we didn't want to loose our standing reservation.

I'm jealous, and will look forward to your posts.

Edited February 28, 2004 by Kim WB (log)

[joiei]

It would be nirvana if Abita was able to bring afew selections including my favorite root beer ever.

[bleachboy]

Marissa and I will come. Preferably for a Fri-Sat type three day weekend.

Let's decide when the eGulleters will be there. Would love to meet some of y'all and maybe get a tour guide.

[zeman]

I've made my plane resv. and am going 4/23-5/1 & can't wait. JazzFest rules!! Food takes a back seat to music at this time of year. It's strictly an endurance test to see how much music you can see in as many days as you're there. Love it!!

[Mayhaw Man]

Here is what I am thinking-tell me what you think-

Meet at Fairgrounds for a casual meet and a little fine dining followed by dancing followed by more dining

Perhaps, just perhaps, (there are alot of issues to be worked through on my end-not the least of which are my courtyard neighbors in the Quarter, although they can be pretty amenable) we could have a crawfish boil Saturday evening if there is some interest. I will tell you after almost 25 years of doing this almost everyday that doing something after the Fairgrounds (besides getting cleaned up and going back out for five or six more hours) can be problematic. BUT, I am willing to try and think it would probably be fun.

Ya'll think about it and I will too.

[zeman]

I'm all for meeting at the fairgrounds for some fun. My usual routine afterwards is to go home, shower, take a serious nap, get up and see some more music. Sat night of the first weekend I'll be at a party in the Quarter at my friend's house then more music after that. But I do have to eat at some point! So let us know.

[rshorens]

I am ready for anything on Saturday, April 24!!!

Roz

[FistFullaRoux]

I am ready for anything on Saturday, April 24!!!

Roz

I'm really sorry I'm going to miss this one.

My suggestions, musicwise (as a former Louisiana DJ) for that day are: Ivan Neville & Dumpsta Funk, Irma Thomas, Balfa Toujours, Batiste Brothers, Doopsie Junior, and Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie. That is a solid group of Louisiana artists.

But if you have a chance to go the next day, don't miss the force of nature known as Cowboy Mouth. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. I think Kiss would be afraid to take the stage after ol' Fred LeBlanc got through with it.

And one other thing. The ticket price covers the admission. It does not cover food, and you can spend more than you intended to really quickly. Yes, it is very good stuff, but it's festival prices. Plan accordingly.

Although, I'm surprised Lucky Dogs isn't involved. They would make a fortune... Or are they doing their normal set-up-outside-the-gates thing?

[Mayhaw Man]

But if you have a chance to go the next day, don't miss the force of nature known as Cowboy Mouth. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. I think Kiss would be afraid to take the stage after ol' Fred LeBlanc got through with it.

Lundi Gras 86 I was working at Carrollton Station and we had Dash Rip Rock (they played there almost every Wednesday for a year-thier frist regular gig--I hated working those nights ) playing late. At about two the bar was still packed and a bunch of us were already "mentally prepared" for going down to the Lyon's Den and getting ready to march between Zulu and Rex behind the Half-Fast Walking CLub. Anyway, they were wrapping it up and we didn't want them to quit for both business and personal reasons (Bill Davis-aka The Bad Clown and guitar/singer for Dash is in the Lyon's as well) so I asked Fred what they would take for another set. He sat there on his stool behind the kit thinking about it and slowly started chanting (louder as he went)," Jaegermeister.......Jaegermeister.......etc". Once we had them fortified with this elixir of fools they knocked out another whole set including a rousing rendition of their fabulous "Stairway to Freebird".

Fred is indeed, a force of nature (or a real bad day for nature-it could go either way )

I had a very good time that night. New Orleans at it's best (or worst, point of view depending).

[bleachboy]

Marissa and I (and another friend) are gonna be down there for the festival on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1. Anything planned for a get-together during those dates?

[tanabutler]

Great googly moogly! I love the JazzFest!

My birthday is at the end of April, and one year I spent ten days in New Orleans with my dancing buddy from Vanderbilt. He was working at Commander's Palace while he put himself through law school, and my God, did we eat for a week. It was right after K-Paul's kitchen had opened, so that was on the itinerary, too.

The day at the Heritage Festival was my favorite. Folks, besides all the oyster po boys you can eat, you gotta gotta GOTTA go to the gospel tent. And I mean the black gospel, not White People Clapping on the Downbeat.

That was one of the best vacations of my life. I left home weighing 120 and came home weighing close to 130. Oh, to be that skinny again!

I can't go this year -- probably will be in Las Vegas watching Elvis marry my friends that weekend.

[rshorens]

The mail-in ticket order form for JazzFest recently became available online. This will save a few dollars off the Ticketmaster credit card charge fees.

Just click on nojazzfest ticket order form, send a cashier's check or money order, and mail to Ticketmaster at their New Orleans P.O. Box address listed on the form.

I would like to organize an eGullet get together at Jazzfest on Saturday, April 24, as was mentioned earlier in this thread. Who would like to join us in seeking out the best food booths and music?

Counting down the days!

Roz