The time has come for the 2014 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to get under way in the Big Easy. We here at Crescent City Law Firm are as excited as you are and would like to give you some insider’s tips so you can enjoy Jazz Fest leisurely and safely. In case you missed the first part of our Jazz Fest blog series, you can read more about how to buy tickets to Jazz Fest and what kind of available transportation there is to safely arrive at and leave Jazz Fest. If you are thinking of buying tickets, you will want to do so before Thursday, April 24th as that is the last day to buy advance tickets at $55 each, as opposed to the $70 gate ticket price.
What Should I Bring to Jazz Fest?
Packing a bag for Jazz Fest is one of the more complex preparations for a New Orleans festival. The reason being is that for what you are spending on your ticket, you are most likely going to spend the majority of your day within the gates of the Fair Grounds and you want to make sure that you are prepared for all weather elements and fun.
Weather. This is one of the biggest topics surrounding Jazz Fest. The end of April in Southeastern Louisiana can call for sun, rain, wind, heat and storms. In one day. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but you can potentially have a hot sunny morning followed by thunderstorms in the afternoon and therefore, you want to be prepared. There are very, very few trees at the Fair Grounds to shade you. The indoor facilities are limited, and the music will go on through blistering sunshine or torrential downpours. The weather for the first weekend of Jazz Fest in New Orleans is looking mighty warm with limited clouds and possible thunderstorms, while the second weekend Jazz Fest’s weather may be a bit cooler, though it is too far off to tell today. Here’s a suggested list of what to bring with you to Jazz Fest:
- Sunscreen: This is pretty self-explanatory. Even if the clouds are out, you want to make sure you protect your skin from the sun.
- Sheet or Blanket: Although many people choose to bring soft-sided folding chairs with them (think: camping chairs), if you plan to move around from stage to stage, a sheet or blanket is easiest to carry.
- Appropriate Shoes: You will be walking around dirt and possibly mud. If it had rained in the last 48 hours, expect mud. You might even want to bring your rain boots or shrimp boots if there is more than a 10% chance of rain in the forecast or it had rained in the last 48 hours. You will want comfortable walking shoes otherwise.
- Fanny Pack: No, I’m not kidding. You don’t want to be carrying around a bag while you’re carrying food, drink or dancing. The fanny pack makes sure that you can do all this and still keep your belongings close to your body.
- Hat / Sunglasses: For obvious reasons.
- Cash: It’s just easiest when purchasing food, drink or souvenirs, but there are ATMs scattered around the Fair Grounds (with high processing fees).
- Water: You can still bring up to one liter bottle of water that is unopened into the Fairgrounds per person. I recommend freezing it so it stays cool for longer throughout the day.
- Light Clothing: If it’s hot, you’ll be thankful. If it rains, you’ll be thankful.
What Can I Expect Once I Arrive at Jazz Fest?
Once you’ve entered the long line to get through the gates (or, if you take the Gray Lines Jazz Fest Express, the short line!), you are in for a world of laughter, fun and music. What can you expect once you’ve entered those gates?
- People. A lot of people. Be prepared for lines at some of the more popular food vendors (I might be volunteering with Café Reconcile who runs the Strawberry Lemonade tent. Come say hi!). The gates open at 11a so you can arrive around 10:30a if you want to “secure” a spot in front of one of the stages. The Acura Stage is where most of the headliners will perform and fills up faster than all the other stages…most of the time.
- Music. Twelve stages of music, so make sure you have some sort of idea of where you want to go. If you don’t, then you’ll wander. Which isn’t so bad either. The local New Orleans musicians will always draw big crowds, so know your stuff.
- Port-o-lets. For women, trailer bathrooms are brought in. These have sinks, toilets and toilet paper. They are worth walking through the Fest to go to.
- Flag Poles & Flags. Although it is “against the rules” to stake the ground with a flag pole, Jazz Fest is extraordinarily known for flags and flag poles. This is how groups of friends find each other each year.
Beyond the Music: Jazz Fest Food, Art & Fashion
We call it the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival because beyond the music, the food and art are two other attractions people come for. Some of the most popular “Jazz Fest Foods” include the Crawfish Bread & Shrimp Bread (think: cheesy awesome-ness), Crawfish Monica (pasta), strawberry lemonade or large iced teas, Cochon de Lait Po-Boy, raw oysters, Cajun jambalaya and fried chicken, cracklins, soft-shell crab po-boy, key lime tart, sweet potato chips, and so, much, more!
There are a few Crafts areas at Jazz Fest including the Congo Square African Marketplace, the Contemporary Crafts and the Louisiana Marketplace. In the Congo Square African Marketplace, you can expect to see beautiful cultural crafts from local to international artisans throughout African history. The Contemporary Crafts tent is located near the blues, jazz and gospel tents and is known for its alluring handcrafted clothing, leather, musical instruments, paintings, photographs, sculptures and jewelry. Louisiana’s finest traditional and contemporary artists display their photographs, jewelry, paintings and more in the Louisiana Marketplace.
Visitors and locals alike like to sport “Jazz Fest shirts.” You can pick these out of a crowd as they are generally linen or light cotton, button down with a collar and bright flowers or designs. Couples like to match. Groups like to go wild. If you aren’t into this type of shirt, a flow-y dress for women or shorts for men are generally great options for Jazz Fest.
Rules & Regulations at Jazz Fest 2014
We talked about what you can and should bring to the Fair Grounds for Jazz Fest. Here are some of the prohibited items. If you are caught with trying to smuggle anything on this list into the gates, then you should cooperate with the security. Law enforcement will be on hand to settle anything, and you do not want to end up in Central Lockup because you chose to disobey some rules and not cooperate with the law. Do not bring:
- Hard sided coolers or soft coolers with a capacity greater than 12 cans
- Outside beverages besides one liter of factory-sealed water per person
- Wagons or pull-carts
- Pets
- Any type of Glass
- Bicycles – you can keep these parked outside at the designated areas
- Skateboards, Segways, go-peds
- Video and audio recording equipment
- Weapons, illicit drugs or other contraband
- Beach or pole-style umbrellas over 63” including personal tents
Staying Safe at Jazz Fest
If you find yourself in any legal trouble while at Jazz Fest, whether you are a minor arrested for Minor in Possession, arrested for a DWI pre- or post- festival, public intoxication or disturbing the peace, public urination, lewd conduct or drug possession, you will want to give your local and experienced New Orleans lawyer a call. You can receive a free initial consultation by calling (504) 264-9492 or e-mail me here and start the process of your defense. We look forward to seeing you out at the Fest!
