New Orleans/Jazz Fest

[Mr Bar Bar 1]

I've never been to NO. Gonna take the wife there to see the Stones/Stapleton/Dave Matthews at Jazzfest....5/2-5. Jazz fest is right downtown at the Fairgrounds/Racetrack. Any suggestions on lodging? Airbnb looks like the way to go. I wanna stay centrally located. So probably just looking for a neighborhood suggestion. But, any other recs would be appreciated (food, bars, museums, etc)!!! 

[C-Man 27,315]

23 minutes ago, Mr Bar Bar said:

I've never been to NO. Gonna take the wife there to see the Stones/Stapleton/Dave Matthews at Jazzfest....5/2-5. Jazz fest is right downtown at the Fairgrounds/Racetrack. Any suggestions on lodging? Airbnb looks like the way to go. I wanna stay centrally located. So probably just looking for a neighborhood suggestion. But, any other recs would be appreciated (food, bars, museums, etc)!!! 

There should be plenty of NOLA threads if you search. Personally, I wouldn't stay anywhere other than in-and-around the Quarter, Uptown or Magazine Districts unless you're staying further out. The food in that town is amazing. I would say to make sure and get chargrilled oysters at Drago's and consider Sunday brunch at Arnaud's. There will be plenty of other recommendations to follow including a drink (or five) at the Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone), BBQ scrimp at Mr. B's or dinner at R'Evolution (crab beignets FTMFW) or Le Petite Grocery. I could go on and on and on ...

[NOMAAA 1,696]

pay the money for one of the hotels off canal.  its close to everything.  the fairgrounds are walkable.  heard too many bad vrbo stories from people in and around jazzfest/mardi gras.

[Spur08 382]

https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/index.php?/topic/91-new-orleans-food-and-drink-thread/

[Al_4_ISU 12,519]

On 2/11/2019 at 1:21 PM, C-Man said:

There should be plenty of NOLA threads if you search. Personally, I wouldn't stay anywhere other than in-and-around the Quarter, Uptown or Magazine Districts unless you're staying further out. The food in that town is amazing. I would say to make sure and get chargrilled oysters at Drago's and consider Sunday brunch at Arnaud's. There will be plenty of other recommendations to follow including a drink (or five) at the Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone), BBQ scrimp at Mr. B's or dinner at R'Evolution (crab beignets FTMFW) or Le Petite Grocery. I could go on and on and on ...

The Carousel Bar has to be one of the more entertaining drinking gimmicks I've partaken in.

[Lat22 4,051]

If you can get a seat.  The last two times we stayed there we never got close.  Didn't slow me down too much.

[Al_4_ISU 12,519]

18 hours ago, Lat22 said:

If you can get a seat.  The last two times we stayed there we never got close.  Didn't slow me down too much.

We went late afternoon on a week day, so it wasn't that bad.  I could see where it would be a damn zoo on the weekend.

[hornian 5,242]

Thanks for starting the thread. I'd like to turn it into "What to Eat at JazzFest" thread, with your permission.

Seriously, the food at JazzFest is as much a draw as the bands, IMO.

Here are some of my favorites from over the years:

• Duck Po Boy
• Pheasant, Quail and Andouille Gumbo
• Spinach artichoke casserole (my wife always gets this one)
• Sweet Potato Chips
• Crawfish Bread (trick is to get two - one to eat right away, one for later - they come wrapped in foil so easy to carry without too much of a mess and they taste good cold as well as hot)
• Yakisoba noodles (always a big hit with my kiddo and the wife, and surprisingly good)
• Creole's Stuffed Breads (also a big hit with kiddo and wife)
• Mango Freeze
• Sno Balls (Stuffed, of course)
• Oysters on the half shell under the grandstand (added bonus - it's air-conditioned under there)

Here's a link to the food vendors from last year, don't know when they will update it: https://www.nojazzfest.com/food/food-list/

 

[hornian 5,242]

On 2/14/2019 at 12:31 PM, hornian said:

Thanks for starting the thread. I'd like to turn it into "What to Eat at JazzFest" thread, with your permission.

Seriously, the food at JazzFest is as much a draw as the bands, IMO.

Here are some of my favorites from over the years:

• Duck Po Boy
• Pheasant, Quail and Andouille Gumbo
• Spinach artichoke casserole (my wife always gets this one)
• Sweet Potato Chips
• Crawfish Bread (trick is to get two - one to eat right away, one for later - they come wrapped in foil so easy to carry without too much of a mess and they taste good cold as well as hot)
• Yakisoba noodles (always a big hit with my kiddo and the wife, and surprisingly good)
• Creole's Stuffed Breads (also a big hit with kiddo and wife)
• Mango Freeze
• Sno Balls (Stuffed, of course)
• Oysters on the half shell under the grandstand (added bonus - it's air-conditioned under there)

Here's a link to the food vendors from last year, don't know when they will update it: https://www.nojazzfest.com/food/food-list/

 

Website is updated with the 2019 food vendors and list. http://www.nojazzfest.com/food/food-list/

Going to have to try the Oyster Rockefeller Bisque.

[hornian 5,242]

Arrived last night. Doing family stuff today, going to the fest tomorrow. Anyone else here this weekend?

[hornian 5,242]

Welp, went last weekend, finally getting around to posting.

I only went to the fairgrounds on Saturday. Since we have young kids, we staked out a shady spot near the Gentilly Stage. Highlight of Saturday at that stage was Leon Bridges for us.

Also made it over the Acura stage for a few acts. Better than Ezra were great, and my wife wanted to see Katy Perry for the nightcap. I was actually surprised by how entertaining her set was.

And here’s a pic of some of the grub from the festival (not all of it; just what I remembered to snap a pic of):

Duck po boy (with some yakamein noodles and a fried pork chop sandwhich in the background):



Combo plate with seafood au gratin, spinach artichoke casserole, and a sweet potato pone:



Ate and drank lots of other stuff, but didn’t take any pics of anything else.

[NOMAAA 1,696]

Monica?

[Lidig8r 1,879]

On 5/4/2019 at 2:31 PM, NOMAAA said:

Monica?

Este. In spades!

 

[Redneck Mutha 8,027]

Miss Linda's Yakamein is fucking nectar of the gods.  Old sober. 

Talked to her back in Dec and she mentioned moving to Houston to spend time with her grandkids. Would be doing fewer New Orleans events (only the big ones), but would be doing some in Houston. 

I think next year is the year I put my foot down and tell the wife, I'm finally fucking going to jazz fest, you can join me if you want, I don't really care either way. 

[NOMAAA 1,696]

3 hours ago, Lidig8r said:

Este. In spades!

 

If you live in houston, @huge knows my recipe I think. 

[Tex48 840]

Going to Jazz Fest in two weeks. Anyone have any advice?

[WhatTheBuck 28,825]

38 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

Going to Jazz Fest in two weeks. Anyone have any advice?

Have you been there before? I’d say pace yourself, and don’t listen to anyone who disses the festival. The festival is awesome. But you also want to check out the shows in the clubs or theaters or riverboats afterwards. It can go til sunrise.

My first trip was in 1999. I had plans to meet up with a friend but I was flying Delta and wound up getting delayed for a long time in Atlanta and missed our appointed meetup. I had a cell phone but he didn’t, and I didn’t know where he was staying. So I did the whole weekend solo. I had a blast.

Originally I was making plans to share a room with this girl I met online. I found a room in some boarding house and booked it after she agreed to split the cost. Then she said, hey, I’ve got this dude who wants to come along and I told her to get lost. It was a nice room in a cool building in a bad neighborhood. I was told to just go from the building to the taxi cab and back again and not to wander around. But I had the room on the top floor all to myself. I could stand out on the landing outside drinking my coffee in the morning, watching the anole lizards climbing around in the treetop, and hearing someone practicing their trumpet off in the distance. It seemed to reek with authenticity.

By the time Katrina hit in 2005, I had lost any record of where that place was. I have no idea what Ward it was in. But it seems likely that it was in the sort of place that might not have fared well during the flooding. I’ve always wondered what happened to them. It was a nice place, well run, I had a nice bed and a clean bathroom. That was a great trip.

I saw a late night show at Tipitina’s that lasted until sunrise. The recording of it took five discs. It was a scene outside afterward and some hippy stranger who lived walking distance away let me go to his place to call and wait for a cab. Nothing creepy at all. It wasn’t that sort of scene. So I smoked him down with some good Ohio kind bud, hung out til my cab came, and never saw him again. I don’t even remember his name. But that was a fine capper to an excellent night. Then when I got home I went and bought a couple Professor Longhair albums. 

[Tex48 840]

3 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Have you been there before? I’d say pace yourself, and don’t listen to anyone who disses the festival. The festival is awesome. But you also want to check out the shows in the clubs or theaters or riverboats afterwards. It can go til sunrise.

My first trip was in 1999. I had plans to meet up with a friend but I was flying Delta and wound up getting delayed for a long time in Atlanta and missed our appointed meetup. I had a cell phone but he didn’t, and I didn’t know where he was staying. So I did the whole weekend solo. I had a blast.

Originally I was making plans to share a room with this girl I met online. I found a room in some boarding house and booked it after she agreed to split the cost. Then she said, hey, I’ve got this dude who wants to come along and I told her to get lost. It was a nice room in a cool building in a bad neighborhood. I was told to just go from the building to the taxi cab and back again and not to wander around. But I had the room on the top floor all to myself. I could stand out on the landing outside drinking my coffee in the morning, watching the anole lizards climbing around in the treetop, and hearing someone practicing their trumpet off in the distance. It seemed to reek with authenticity.

By the time Katrina hit in 2005, I had lost any record of where that place was. I have no idea what Ward it was in. But it seems likely that it was in the sort of place that might not have fared well during the flooding. I’ve always wondered what happened to them. It was a nice place, well run, I had a nice bed and a clean bathroom. That was a great trip.

I saw a late night show at Tipitina’s that lasted until sunrise. The recording of it took five discs. It was a scene outside afterward and some hippy stranger who lived walking distance away let me go to his place to call and wait for a cab. Nothing creepy at all. It wasn’t that sort of scene. So I smoked him down with some good Ohio kind bud, hung out til my cab came, and never saw him again. I don’t even remember his name. But that was a fine capper to an excellent night. Then when I got home I went and bought a couple Professor Longhair albums. 

My entire family is from NOLA. I'm there at least once a month. I've never been to the festival. I'm staying at my aunts house with a few friends that I typically got to acl with. 

Edited April 20, 2022 by Tex48

[We’reTexas 1,473]

Get a food guide, many of the vendors have been there since the 80’s. Don’t sleep on the gospel tent. Seeing Big Freedia in the middle of the day is only weird for a little bit. Keep an eye out for Indians. Personally I get there early for the local acts and usually skip the headliners to beat the crowds and have some time to rest up before the night shows. 

[WhatTheBuck 28,825]

13 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

My entire family is from NOLA. I'm there at least once a month. I've never been to the festival. I'm staying at my aunts house with a few friends that I typically got to acl with. 

Well then, go early, stay late, and wonder around. I’m not sure how you’ve never been there before. It’s one of those places where every artist steps up their game. I remember going to some stage to see some band and got there early before the previous act was finished. My memory is fuzzy and looking back through old schedules I can’t pinpoint it. I think it was Hootie and the Blowfish. I would’ve never chosen to go see Hootie and the Blowfish. But they threw down. In my recollection I thought I was going to see Galactic (who now owns Tipitina’s) but I can’t find any confirmation for that so I don’t know what was going on.

I’d seen a lot of concerts by that point. Hundreds. My first Dead show was in 1987 and some of the Neville Brothers were guests. I didn’t know what New Orleans music was at that point, or Cajun or Zydeco. I hadn’t been exposed to jazz yet. I have the Dead to thank for that too, plus a lot of other American music. By the time 1999 rolled around I had been exposed to a fairly wide range of American music but going to Jazz Fest showed me I was still just dipping my toe in it. I was like a kid in a candy store. Everything was a thrill. And there was something really freeing about being by myself because going with a group of friends can kind of keep you in a bubble. Flying solo gives you more opportunities to meet and interact with other people. And to do whatever you want whenever you want.

If there’s a finer music festival anywhere, I don’t know where it is. I’ve heard it said that you don’t judge your Jazz Fest by who you see, you judge it by who you miss in order to see who you see. No matter how much great music you hear, you’re still going to miss hearing a lot of great music.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,215]

I used to love going to JazzFest.  That being said, my most recent trip was back in 2014.  They have all these VIP areas which completely takes away from the festival.  I think they have tried to be like Coachella or ACL, and that isn't what JazzFest is supposed to be.