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If you’re coming to New Orleans for the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival and looking for tips from locals, you’ve come to the right place for advice. I’ve been festin’ my whole life, at least as long as I can remember. Jazz Fest, to locals, is a celebration not just of music but of everything we are: food, music, art, culture, history – it’s a celebration of life. And you know that we know how to celebrate.
Now, it’s easy to over-celebrate in this city (if you catch my drift) and being prepared is always important. Here are a few key things I think you’ll need to know in order to survive Jazz Fest.
1. First thing’s first: Let’s get a drink. In my personal opinion, beer is the best thing to drink during a festival (that and water) but you can also get wine and frozen daiquiris. If you’re looking for something a little less alcoholic (and by that I mean alcohol-free) try the herbal teas. You can also bring a water bottle to fill at the public water stations but make sure it’s empty when you come in.
2. And second, some food. There is more food at Jazz Fest than you can physically ingest in one weekend, so knowing what you want is important. I don’t like to wait in lines typically but there are some foods at Jazz Fest worth the wait. I recommend anything with our fresh Louisiana Seafood, especially the Crawfish Monica and the Crawfish pies. Check out the rest of GoNOLA’s top picks for Jazz Fest foods.
Hat: check. Water bottle: check. Comfortable shoes: check. Loose clothes: Check. Professional fester: check. (Photo from Flickr by Kaarin T)
3. Weather is unpredictable. New Orleans is hot. There is no use trying to beat around this bush, but in case you didn’t know, the South can get quite warm in late April and early May. Because of this, I recommend wearing loose fitting, comfortable clothing. And sunblock; lots of sunblock.
3A. It’s also been known to rain down here from time to time so I recommend bringing a rain coat, one that will actually help keep you from getting soaked. Here’s a tip: in the inside pocket of your rain coat bring a Ziplock bag with rice. If it starts to rain, you can throw that smart phone of yours in there and keep it from getting destroyed.
4. Comfort is key at Jazz Fest. Like I said, it has been known to get a little warm here so wear clothing that gives you a little groovin’ room and some airflow. And, keep in mind that you’re walking around a track which means a mix of dirt, mud, sand and grass. Wear shoes that you won’t mind getting dirty and will be comfortable to walk around in all day.
5. Entering the crowds. Some of the stages, especially for the major headliners, will fill up with a crowd quickly. If you’re looking to meet someone who’s in the thick of the crowd at either the Gentilly or Acura stages, it will be easier for you to enter from the track side than from the back or the grass side. Trust me, I’ve been doing this a while. Just apologize a lot.
6. Live music recordings. Like what you hear? Some of the artists who play during Jazz Fest will have live recordings available for purchase after their shows. You can see which artists are recording and order in advance (you can also order past shows) at the Jazz Fest Live Festivals Recording tent between the Heritage and Acura stages.
7. Your bag. This might be the most important advice I can give to a festival newbie: if you bring a bag, make sure you’re prepared with important essentials. Here’s what you should absolutely have with you: toilet paper, hand sanitizer, sun glasses, coozie, wallet (with an ID and cash!), towel/blanket to sit on and a rain coat.
Hope this information helps get you through your first Jazz Fest and if you have any questions while you’re in town you can always find us on Facebook or Tweet us! [CR: hit the link above for the original story].
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