New Orleans Travel Forum

I have never been to New Orleans. Do you think it is a good idea to do the Jazz Festival as my first trip?
any advice is appreciated. Which weekend to go? Where to stay? When to buy tickets?

thank you for your help.
janet

That depends - do you like crowds? There's a lot of wonderful music, but I went one year and had a hard time getting anywhere near the main stages on weekends. The popular restaurants get booked up, the hotels fill up, etc etc. On the other hand, if you like being in the thick of things and want to be in a bunch of fellow music lovers it might be your cup of tea.

I would suggest that unless you're a real music-ophile, go a different weekend. If you love NO music and don't mind a little jostling, don't miss it.

Jazz fest is one of my fav things in the whole world. (I’ve been to about 25 of them.) It’s a world class fest with great music, great food, great crowds of great people. Do your research, get the schedule before hand and make sure you go to all the small stages, not just the big acts. You sometimes can be just blown away by someone you never heard of at a smaller stage where you can get right up front and dance your socks off. Also lots of great art, folk crafts, food demos, story tellers so make sure you take the time to see all that too! ALL the food is worth tasting, consistently good thro the years.

If you burn, bring sunscreen, summer clothes, rain gear (sometimes it rains!), & comfy shoes. Oh, and lots of money because I think things have gone up in price all over town. Best to get a place to stay early, things book up very quickly. Tickets you can get from the site, http://www.nojazzfest.com advance are $40 - $50 at the door (plus then you have to wait in loooooong lines). Both week ends are amazing, 2nd adds a Thursday. You may want to go half the first, see the city for 3 days and then enjoy the 2nd weekend.

If you have never been to the city, tho, it is a bit pumped up during the festival. Crowds everywhere, but lots of like-minded people to meet. Long waits to get into the popular restaurants, and crowds at the live music venues at night. The weather is usually great this time of year, & you can still get around to see the beauty of the city. (Which I always say, means leaving the French Quarter) Don’t get me wrong, it is a truly beautiful place you can spend eons in, but during the fest it will be packed. Another option: a great fest the weekend before, the French Quarter Fest , is a lot of fun & free! It’s right on the river, a very nice venue. I am going to all three weekends this year, because I have been stuck up in Wisconsin this winter, which has made me swear, NEVER AGAIN - Back to the south for me.

I hope this helps a little…… If you have any specific questions I’ll be happy to try to answer them. It’s hard to tell if someone will love the fest or not. I know people that never go, but most people I know never miss it. It’s an annual ritual rite of spring that just leaves you rejuvenated and feeling alive. I hope you do get to enjoy it too!