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New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Photo

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Apr 25 - 28, 2024, 11am - 7pm
Fair Grounds Race Course
New Orleans, LA

"The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, more commonly referred to as Jazz Fest, is an annual festival celebrating the music, art, culture, and heritage of New Orleans. Over the years, it has worked its way into the hearts of locals and visitors alike. The Festival has always blended a wide mix of internationally renowned artists from both Louisiana and the rest of the world. The Louisiana Heritage Festival,” was originally conceived by George Wein. He envisioned a daytime fair with multiple stages featuring a variety of local music styles, Louisiana cuisine, arts and crafts and evening concerts. The first Jazz Fest took place in April 1970, in Congo Square with an all-star lineup that included Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington, Fats Domino, Pete Fountain, The Preservation Hall Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indians and many others. Only 350 attended the inaugural event, but that would soon change. Today, Wein's original vision remains the basic premise of the festival, and Jazz Fest welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually." ~per neworleans.com

"In April of 1970, Mahalia Jackson, often called the greatest gospel singer, returned to her hometown to appear at the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. While attending the Louisiana Heritage Fair in Congo Square (then known as Beauregard Square), she and Duke Ellington, who also appeared at the event, came upon the Eureka Brass Band leading a crowd of second-line revelers through the Festival grounds. George Wein, producer of the Festival, handed Ms. Jackson a microphone, she sang along with the band and joined the parade… and the spirit of Jazz Fest was born. This spontaneous, momentous scene—this meeting of jazz and heritage—has stood for decades as a stirring symbol of the authenticity of the celebration that was destined to become a cultural force. From the very beginning, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was envisioned as an important event that would have great cultural significance and popular appeal. The Festival was the culmination of years of discussions and efforts by city leaders who wanted to create an event worthy of the city's legacy as the birthplace of jazz." ~per their website

***WE RUN A SPECIAL JAZZ FEST SHUTTLE (ROUND TRIP) DURING THIS EVENT. Inquire in the office, about the event & the shuttle.***

Apr 25 - 28