February 23, 2011 – Forbes Magazine
New Orleans’ well-kept secret serves up a musical gumbo.
Let’s say you are one of those people who enjoy eating crawfish étouffée en plein air and listening to a jazz band wail away the afternoon under the New Orleans sun. But let’s also say that the epic crowds–and lines–at New Orleans’ legendary Jazz & Heritage Festival (a.k.a. JazzFest) put you off.
The annual French Quarter Festival, held this year the weekend of Apr. 7-10, may be just the thing to soothe your inner agoraphobe while arousing your inner sybarite. Unlike JazzFest, which is out at the Fair Grounds Race Course, the French Quarter Festival takes place in the hauntingly beautiful heart of the French Quarter. There is no admission charge, and you can wander in and out as you please–a big plus, especially if you have kids in tow.
You hear every strain of Louisiana music at FQF, played on 18 outdoor stages throughout the Quarter. Big stretches of Bourbon and Royal streets are closed to car traffic for the weekend, but the bars and restaurants are open, and people come and go.
At FQF you won’t find the kinds of international pop stars–Arcade Fire, Bon Jovi, the Neville Brothers–who headline JazzFest. (You also won’t be stuck half a mile from the stage, watching the performers on huge video screens.) What you will find is the cream of Louisiana talent–local heroes like swamp bluesman Coco Robicheaux, washboard player Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and singer Banu Gibson–playing in relaxed outdoor settings. There are stages devoted to Cajun music, brass bands, zydeco, funk and Latin music, as well as FQF’s staple: classic, traditional jazz from hometown legends like cornetist Connie Jones, the New Orleans Moonshiners, the Dukes of Dixieland and others.
If Bourbon and Royal streets are still a little crowded for your taste, you can head for one of the four stages (including one for children) in Woldenberg Riverfront Park along the Mississippi River, spread a blanket on the lawn, and watch the barges and steamboats pass as you dance to Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots.
Dozens of restaurants and vendors serve up regional specialties like shrimp rémoulade and jambalaya, as well as more adventurous fare like crawfish-and-goat-cheese crepes. For the best combination of music and eats, try Jackson Square, where you might catch Leif Pedersen’s 1944 Big Band and sample food from the booths lining the square in front of St. Louis Cathedral. You can also check out the food vendors at Woldenberg Park or the Old U.S. Mint. For a true taste of Louisiana: a slow-roasted duck po’ boy sandwich from Jacques-Imo’s Café or a Creole hot-sausage po’ boy from Vaucresson’s Sausage Company. Life is good.
