Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, Cajun Food, Beignets, Cafe Au Lait, and The Saints are some of the things that come to mind when you mention New Orleans. I enjoyed a visit to Cafe Du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait and walked Bourbon Street while I was in New Orleans but during this visit I was able to do 3 things for the first time.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
I was in New Orleans during the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. This festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors who attend to celebrate the music, cuisine and overall culture of New Orleans.
This was my first time attending the festival so I did not know what to expect. Although I was warned that it usually rains during Jazz Fest, we had the perfect weather that first weekend.
To celebrate the 50 year anniversary, the organizers of Jazz Fest added an extra day, Local Thursdays, to both weekends where locals with a valid Louisiana State ID can purchase specially-priced tickets. More days mean more music with a lineup of local, regional and national artists! Some of the headliners during the first weekend I was there included Earth Wind & Fire, Santana, Katy Perry and Boz Scaggs, Van Morrison and Al Green to name a few.
Music was definitely wonderful and people watching enjoyable. But Jazz Fest is also a food fest as much as it is a music fest with plenty of food vendors offering a feast of Cajun and international dishes. I made sure I came with an empty stomach and an open mind so I can try as much food as the fest offers.
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, one of the most fun tournaments on the PGA Tour was also going on during my New Orleans visit. I was given the opportunity to watch professional golfers swing their clubs while enjoying being in the Zurich hospitality tents where food and drinks were overflowing. It was great fun to watch the Zurich Classic while enjoying Louisiana classics like Gulf shrimp, char-broiled oysters, fried chicken, corn bread and everything crawfish!
The Zurich Classic, which became a team event in 2017, s is played on the emerald grass of the Tournament Players Club (TPC) in Avondale, which is 15miles from downtown. The course is beautiful with plenty of shady trees which I enjoyed more since the weather was absolutely perfect
Art Walk and Art Scene
New Orleans boasts such a diverse art scene that you see throughout each neighborhood. Every neighborhood in New Orleans has its own personality. To showcase the best of Nola’s art scene, the city hosts art walks and markets all year round. And most of these events are free and open to the public.
During this trip although I visited and walked Bourbon Street and did typical tourists stuff, I also ventured out to learn about the street artists on St. Claude Avenue and local artists on Frenchman Art Market on Frenchmen Street
The art walk on St. Claude Avenue is not in guidebooks. It was amazing to see murals by popular street artists, including Banksy, Muck Rock, Jeremy Novy, Rebeka Skela, Leluna and Lana Guerra and to be able to take photos in front of the murals. I learned a lot about local art history while visiting towering murals created by some of the city’s well-known street artists and exploring a short stretch of road that has become the site of more than 38 public works of art.
Frenchmen Street is an off the beaten gem, a ‘local’s Bourbon Street’ where real New Orleanians gather to listen to live music and grab a drink. It is also where you’ll find Palace Market which is a destination for handmade New Orleans art. It is an open air market hosting a rotating collection of over 80 local painters, jewelers, illustrators and sculptors. I was able to enjoy and purchase a few handcrafted and unique art. After strolling the night market that is open seven nights a week, it was time to enjoy good food and listen to live music!
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