In a city known for its delicious and diverse cuisine, even festivals are known for serving world-class food. During the 29th annual French Quarter Festival (Thursday, April 12 – Sunday, April 15, 2012) festival-goers will enjoy signature offerings at the “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch.” The 2012 festival welcomes nine new restaurants including Galatoire’s, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, Blue Dot Donuts, Three Muses, Maximo’s Italian Grill, Grand Isle, Deanies, Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant, and PJ’s Coffee and Tea of New Orleans. Food and beverage booths, located in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park and the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, make up the “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch.”

French Quarter Festival annually features authentic local cuisine from the area’s finest restaurants, including festival favorites such as crawfish and goat cheese crepes, cochon de lait po-boys, crawfish bisque, Oysters Bonne Femme, hot boiled crawfish, grilled chicken livers with pepper jelly, sweet potato pie, bourbon bbq shrimp, prime debris po-boys, Abita beer, snoballs, and more. Foodies will also enjoy lamb sliders, Crawfish Diavolo, baked alaska, and boudin balls. In addition to the food offerings, the festival offers an array of refreshing beverages including Abita Beer, Absoult Vodka, Malibu Rum and Jameson cocktails and daiquiris, Pepsi products including Aquafina and Gatorade, Pat O’Brien’s hurricanes, Tropical Isle Hand Grenades (and Skinny Hand Grenades), WWOZ’s Mango Freeze, and Plum Street Sno-Balls – now with an additional fourth location in Jackson Square. Most menu items range in price from $4 – $8 to keep the festival not only fun, but affordable.

In order to maintain the authenticity and quality of the cuisine, the Jazz Brunch Committee follows specific criteria for participating in the “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch”. In order to qualify, vendors must be dine-in restaurants and New Orleans restaurants are given first preference. French Quarter Festival features neighborhood favorites – including Antoine’s, Desire Oyster Bar, Galatoire’s, G W Fins, Muriel’s, Court of Two Sisters, The Bombay Club, Bennachin, Praline Connection, and Tujague’s – many of whom participated in the first-ever French Quarter Festival in 1984.
Visit www.fqfi.org to view complete food and beverage menus, or download the free Apps for iPhone and Android – courtesy of Capital One Bank and Applitite. The “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch” is served daily from 11am to 7pm at Jackson Square and Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint and 11am to 9 pm at Woldenberg Riverfront Park, except for Sunday when the entire festival closes at 7pm.

Dancing through the festival

As part of French Quarter Festivals, Inc.’s partnership with the NOLA Jitterbugs, festival-goers can enjoy free dance lessons at the French Market Traditional Jazz Stage and on the riverfront – at the Cajun-Zydeco Showcase. Professional dance teachers from NOLA Jitterbugs, DancingMan504, Dance Quarter, and Cajun Dance Productions will teach classes.

Friday, April 13:
Cajun-Zydeco Stage – 2:00 Cajun Jitterbug dance lesson / 4:00 Zydeco dance lesson
Traditional Jazz Stage at the French Market: 12:45 Swing dance lesson / 3:00 BrassXcise Second Line dance lesson

Saturday, April 14:
Cajun-Zydeco Stage – 2:00 Zydeco dance lesson / 4:00 Cajun Jitterbug dance lesson
Traditional Jazz Stage at the French Market: 10:30 am Traditional Jazz dance lesson / 12:45 Swing dance lesson / 3:00 BrassXcise Second Line dance lesson

Sunday, April 15:
Cajun-Zydeco Stage – 2:00 Cajun Jitterbug dance lesson / 4:00 Zydeco dance lesson
Traditional Jazz Stage at the French Market: 10:30 am Swing dance lesson / 12:45 1920s Charleston dance lesson / 3:00 Balboa Swing dance lesson

Author and Artists at French Quarter Festival

Festival-goers can enjoy the Pirates Alley Juried Art Show presented by the New Orleans Art Association, open Saturday and Sunday of the festival from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with over 100 artists displaying original fine art on Pirates Alley, Pere Antoine Alley, Cabildo Alley, and Royal Street.

French Quarter Festival Artist and Author Signings, featuring Brandon Delles, official poster artist for the 2012 French Quarter Festival – and Kit Wohl, author of New Orleans Classic Brunches-French Quarter Festival edition – Jackson Square near the merchandise tent – 2012 Poster Artist Brandon Delles will sign every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kit Wohl will sign her book on Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.

French Quarter Festival Artist Poster Signing and Reception, featuring 2012 French Quarter Festival poster artist Brandon Delles – Vincent Art Gallery, 631 Decatur; hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served – 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Musical Special Events at French Quarter Festival
All events are free and open to the public

French Quarter Festival Second-Line Kickoff Parade led by New Birth Brass Band – 100 block of Bourbon Street to Jackson Square – Friday, April 13th at 10 a.m.

Opera at Dusk – operatic performances with musical accompaniment from a beautiful French Quarter Balcony. Sponsored by La Belle Galerie; 300 block of Chartres – Saturday, April 14th at 6 p.m.

Battle of the Bands – Traditional Jazz bands compete in a rousing playoff on the steps of the Supreme Court building on Royal Street. This year’s bands include Cori Walters and the Universe Jazz Band, Andrew Hall’s Memories of New Orleans and Bob Walters’ Good Time Jazz Band – 400 block of Royal Street – Saturday, April 14th from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Concert at St. Louis Cathedral – Grammy Award-winner Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra will perform original Jazz arrangements of Negro spirituals and sacred music – St. Louis Cathedral – Saturday, April 14th at 6 p.m.

Dancing at Dusk – Audiences will be ‘In the Mood’ for a ‘Sentimental Journey’ with the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie and other favorites from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Dance and swing on picturesque Royal Street at this festival favorite. This year’s big band is Rocky’s Hot Fox Trot Orchestra – 400 Block of Royal Street – Sunday, April 15th from 6 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

The St. Louis Cathedral Annual Spring Concert – Under the direction of Dreux Montegut, the Saint Louis Cathedral Concert Choir and Orchestra, joined by Loyola University Chamber Singers and New Orleans Vocal Arts Chorale, will perform at the St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square. The combined ensembles will perform the Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K 339 by W. A. Mozart and the Missa Kenya by Paul Basler – St. Louis Cathedral – Sunday, April 15th at 7 p.m.

Rouses World Championship Crawfish Eating Contest
Hosted by the IFEA (International Federation of Eating)
Professional and celebrity eaters battle to eat the most crawfish by the pound. The professional eaters round will be preceded by a media round – Old U.S. Mint, 400 Barracks Street – Saturday, April 14th at 12 noon.

Fireworks are back!
Sponsored by Tropical Isle

2012 brings the return of the fireworks show presented by Pyrotecnico and sponsored by Tropical Isle. Fireworks are scheduled for Saturday, April 14th at 9 p.m. over the Mississippi River. Fireworks were last seen at French Quarter Festival in April 2005 (pre-Hurricane Katrina).

New series!
Let Them Talk: Conversations on Louisiana Music

Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, 3rd Floor – 400 Esplanade
Sponsored and presented by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. and the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park, with support from the University of New Orleans Midlo Center, Hogan Jazz Archives at Tulane University, and the Louisiana State Museum.

Saturday, April 14
12:00PM — The Many Sides Of Sunpie — Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes is a multi-faceted exponent of New Orleans and Louisiana music and culture — who does distinguished work as a Ranger for the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park — and crowd-pleasing turns as the multi-instrumentalist (harmonica, piano, accordion) leader of Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots. Meet Bruce Barnes in this interview with Fred Kasten.

1:00PM — Super Sousaphone — New Orleans sousaphone virtuoso Matt Perrine is also a big time performer on acoustic and electric bass — and that versatility keeps Matt in demand with an eclectic range of bands — including the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Tin Men and John Ellis’s Double Wide. Find out more about the life and career of Matt Perrine in this interview with Fred Kasten.

2:00PM — Groove Interrupted — Longtime Times-Picayune music writer Keith Spera’s recent book Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal, and the Music of New Orleans includes a chapter about the recording of jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport’s 2009 album, We’ll Dance ‘Til Dawn. The scenes capture the wise-cracking camaraderie of a cast of characters that includes trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. For Let Them Talk, Keith Spera and Jeremy Davenport discuss the behind-the-scenes reality of making a jazz album in the modern era.

3:00PM — Funkify Your Life – Electric bass master George Porter, Jr. laid down the super funky bass lines that helped form the foundation of the deep grooves created by legendary New Orleans band The Meters, whose innovative, irresistible and highly influential music remains a powerful force in the funk, jam band and hip-hop genres. George Porter, Jr. has gone on to become an award-winning bandleader with his Runnin’ Pardners and first-call sideman of international renown – and talks about these many aspects of his life in music with interviewer Fred Kasten.

4:00PM — Clyde Kerr, Sr. Award Winners Shirley Chatters Bloom and Jonathan Bloom – The Clyde Kerr, Sr. Award honors outstanding achievement in music education. This year’s award winners are Shirley
Chatters Bloom and her son, Jonathan Bloom. Shirley Chatters Bloom is a soon-to-be 91 year-old violinist and vocalist who sang with Paul Robeson and taught at the Grunewald School of Music with Clyde Kerr, Sr. Jonathan Bloom is a noted percussionist and a dedicated music educator in New Orleans for over three decades. For Let Them Talk, Jonathan and Shirley Chatters Bloom discuss their lives in music and music education with New Orleans historian Al Kennedy.

Sunday, April 15
1:00PM – In the Pocket with Johnny V. — Drummer and composer Johnny Vidacovich is a New Orleans rhythm master. From second line street beats to trad jazz cadences, contemporary jazz polyrhythms to big band swing, and hard-hitting funk to jam band explorations, Johnny Vidacovich has the rhythm covered – and music colored – in exciting and innovative ways. For Let Them Talk, Johnny V. discusses his life in music with interviewer Fred Kasten, and takes to the trap set to demonstrate some essential New Orleans rhythms.

2:00PM – Lionel Ferbos: on the Right Side of 100! – New Orleans trumpeter Lionel Ferbos celebrated his 100th birthday in July of 2011 and continues to charm listeners with his heartfelt singing and playing at regular appearances around the Crescent City. He also had a long career as an accomplished craftsman in the building trades and talks about his life and times with award-winning photographer and jazz historian John McCusker.

3:00PM — 21st Century Slidemen in a Tailgatin’ Town – The trombone has played a primary role in New Orleans jazz and brass band music for over a century. Outstanding contemporary trombonists Craig Klein, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Mark Mullins remain deeply informed and respectful of the New Orleans trombone tradition, even while spending considerable time pursuing different approaches to music. For Let Them Talk, the three discuss their lives as trombonists and the instrument’s evolving role in modern music. Interviewer Fred Kasten

4:00PM — Dynamic Duo: Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott – Top-notch New Orleans pianist and composer Tom McDermott and rising-star jazz vocalist Meschiya Lake have won a lot of fans with their series of intimate but powerful duo performances in the last few years. For Let Them Talk Tom McDermott, also an accomplished journalist, interviews Meschiya Lake about her life in music. The session concludes with a 15 minute mini-concert of jazz and blues classics.

New this year!
Children’s Museum Activities and fun at the Hermann-Grima House

The education departments of some of New Orleans’ great museums (Longue Vue House and Gardens, Hermann-Grima House, Beauregard Keyes House, New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, and more) will host activity booths in the beautiful courtyard gardens of the Hermann-Grima House, located at 820 St. Louis Street – Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 6 p.m.

Children and adults alike can also enjoy the family friendly activates at the riverfront plaza near the Audubon Aquarium. The riverfront Children’s Headquarters is filled with fun educational activities, fun exercise offerings, and kid-friendly music and food.

To view the full schedule of Special Events or for more information about the Children’s Areas, click here or download the free app on your iPhone or Android courtesy of Capital One Bank and Applitite.

French Quarter Festivals, Inc. unveils the 29th annual French Quarter Festival Poster by artist Brandon Delles. Each year, the festival’s Merchandise Committee selects a painting that portrays the fun, festive atmosphere of French Quarter Festival and appeals to both locals and tourists. Consideration is given only to local artists. To keep the festival free and open to the public, French Quarter Festival relies heavily on merchandise and poster sales, sponsorships, and beverage sales to generate its operating budget.

For the 2012 poster, well known local artist, Brandon Delles, recreates a lively French Quarter Festival atmosphere with a triptych display of the Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Jackson Square, and the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, while playfully bringing to life New Orleans icon and French Quarter Festival regular, blues musician, Coco Robicheaux. Brandon captures New Orleans food, music, and culture by including elements that personify New Orleans and the French Quarter through the use of rich colors, unique character, and whimsical charm.

Brandon Delles
Brandon began his professional career in the arts as a caricaturist at Walt Disney World after his tour with the Marine Corps in 1996. His interest to become an animator for Walt Disney drove him to learn the craft of caricaturizing and eventually shaped his unique and playful style of art.

Brandon attended the University of the Arts and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. Since his move to New Orleans, Brandon has become an active member of the Arts Council of New Orleans and has created works for Dirty Linen Night 2011, The Three Muses, and the Vieux Carré Art Gallery in Jackson Square. Brandon is often found in Jackson Square painting his unique pieces using quick sketching and self taught painting techniques to capture the essence of the New Orleans diverse scenes.

Coco Robicheaux
Coco Robicheaux (born Curtis John Arceneaux) was born in 1947 in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Coco’s gravelly voice, bluesy Louisiana music, and interest in the spiritual and mystical elements made him a New Orleans and global icon. His name, Coco Robicheaux, came from the Louisiana folk tale of a boy taken by the loup garou – French for werewolf. His family had called him by the name from the time he was a little boy—it was a popular name to use for frightening kids when they were behaving badly.

He released several albums during the many decades of his career including Spiritland, Hoodoo Party, and Revelator. He was often seen in the Frenchmen Street entertainment district, is a well known icon around the globe, and a regular talent at French Quarter Festival. Coco is also famous for his appearance in the HBO series ―Treme‖ where he sacrifices a rooster in the studio of radio station WWOZ. Mr. Robicheaux passed away Friday, November 25, 2011 at the age of 64. He is greatly missed by the community of New Orleans and the world.

Editions:
2750 Artist-signed & numbered prints, $45
250 Artist Proofs & numbered prints, $65
Image Size 120″ x 72″
Poster Size 38” x 17”

29th anniversary celebration to deliver new kinds of fun for festivalgoers

Tourism officials call French Quarter Festival ‘the kickoff to festival season in New Orleans,’ and what started as a neighborhood festival and a ‘locals event’ has grown into one of the largest music festivals in the United States. The 2011 French Quarter Festival hosted over 500,000 local and out-of-town visitors and had an economic impact of over $245 million. ‘Locals’ Lagniappe Day’ was launched in 2011 and French Quarter Festival officially became a four-day event. In 2012, there is even more festival to enjoy, with extended hours on opening day, Thursday, April 12. And, next year brings the 30th anniversary of this exciting and beloved festival.

Remaining dedicated to New Orleans Music and our Musicians

On twenty (of its twenty-one) music stages, only Louisiana artists are featured (the festival hosts one ‘International Stage’ where traditional jazz bands from all over the world perform.) Part of the great appeal of French Quarter Festival is that attendees get a true and authentic New Orleans experience – locals and visitors can hear a broad range of artists and a diverse variety of musical styles and genres. French Quarter Festival is committed to keeping Traditional Jazz alive, and features New Orleans’ finest artists throughout the four days of festival, on stages all over the French Quarter. A new music stage has been added in 2012, bringing the total to twenty-one. A Cabaret Stage debuts at this year’s festival and will have its home at the beautifully renovated Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone. The Hotel Monteleone is a sponsor of the festival and its ‘official hotel’.

French Quarter Festivals, Inc. recently launched the Musician Sponsorship Program, in which the community was invited to ‘adopt an artist’ at French Quarter Festival. The response has been incredible and corporations, foundations and individuals from all over the United States – from Minneapolis to Maryland – have joined the program and are helping to keep French Quarter Festival FREE for the community, as it remains one of the largest music festivals in the United States. The 2012 French Quarter Festival will feature over 800 local artists. The musician program will continue to seek sponsorships.

2012 French Quarter Festival – little changes that will make a big difference!

• The festival has added a full, fourth day – dubbed ‘Locals’ Lagniappe Day.’ The festival opens Thursday, April 12 from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. in Jackson Square (one stage) and Woldenberg Riverfront Park, with four stages. New Orleans’ finest restaurants –otherwise known as ‘The World’s Largest Jazz Brunch’ will be serving classic New Orleans dishes throughout the festival.
• In partnership with Applitite, the French Quarter Festival iPhone App is back, along with a new DROID App – and this year it is FREE, courtesy of Capital One Bank. Fans can receive up to the minute announcements, downloadable music schedules, complete menus, special events, merchandise updates, shuttle information and unique offers to enhance their festival experience. The application will be available for download in March, prior to French Quarter Festival.
• The Capital One Bank Second Line Shuttle is growing with the French Quarter Festival audience! A sixth bus will be added to help transport local fans to the festival Friday through Sunday. Parking will be offered in the Central Business District along O’Keefe Street for just $10 per day and the shuttle ride is FREE, courtesy of Capital One Bank.
• Fireworks are back! 2012 brings the return of the beloved fireworks display on the Mississippi River – last seen at French Quarter Festival in April 2005 (pre-Katrina). This major sponsorship is courtesy of Tropical Isle, a long time participant and friend of French Quarter Festival. The elaborate show will begin at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. Local fireworks producer Pyrotecnico will produce the show for French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
• In 2011, New Orleans food critic, radio host, and author – Tom Fitzmorris – called French Quarter Festival’s World’s Largest Jazz Brunch one of the top three food events in New Orleans (the other two are the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience and FQFI’s Reveillon menus). In recognition of the major food event that the festival has become, local award-winning author Kit Wohl tipped her hat by doing a special edition of her new book New Orleans Classic Brunches especially for French Quarter Festival. In the book, Wohl features Jazz Brunch restaurants – with beloved local recipes, cocktails and lore. The special-edition signed and numbered book will be on sale at French Quarter Festival. A portion of the sales will benefit the non-profit French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
• The ever-popular Children’s Headquarters will be expanded for 2012. Festival-goers can enjoy two completely different familyfun experiences on Saturday and Sunday: The newest addition is the beautiful courtyard of the Hermann-Grima House, located at 820 St. Louis Street. Major local museums will offer fascinating and fun hands-on activities. In addition, young visitors will learn how to churn butter, tend a garden, and more. Built in 1831, Hermann-Grima House is one of the most significant residences in New Orleans. Its courtyard garden boasts the only horse stable and functional 1830s outdoor kitchen in the French Quarter. The outdoor hearth kitchen, with its view of the antique roses, citrus and parterre gardens, provides a dynamic experience for visitors. Families can also enjoy a riverfront kids area at the Audubon Aquarium Riverfront Plaza, made possible in part through an exciting partnership with Chevron, Tulane Hospital for Children and the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park. Anchoring the riverfront Children’s Headquarters is a Kids’ Performance Tent with live music.
• French Quarter Festivals, Inc. works closely with New Orleans Police and a private security company (FESS, Inc.) to ensure that visitors have a safe an enjoyable experience at French Quarter Festival. New for 2012, the festival is pleased to welcome the New Orleans Guardian Angels Bike Team to French Quarter Festival. Bike teams will patrol the French Quarter and Riverfront and will also provide EMS support. Guardian Angels work closely with the New Orleans Police Department.
• The TGIF ‘Thank Goodness it’s Festival!’ kickoff fundraiser takes place Wednesday, April 11, from 6-9 p.m. at the House of Blues, with Jon Cleary and the Philthy Phew in the Music Hall and Traditional Jazz in the VooDoo Garden.

Strong partnerships are a major part of French Quarter Festival

In order to keep French Quarter Festival free and open to the public, the organization relies heavily on the contributions of sponsors and partners, beverage and merchandise sales, and vendor fees. For 2012, the festival is thrilled to welcome back Capital One Bank, as Presenting Sponsor.

In collaboration with BMI, French Quarter Festival welcomes back for its third year the BMI Singer Songwriter Stage at The Historic New Orleans Collection on Royal Street. Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing rights organization that represents more than 400,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. On Saturday and Sunday of the festival, the BMI Songwriter Stage will feature the region’s finest up-and-comers.

2012 also welcomes the return of dance lessons at the French Market Traditional Jazz Stage; Zydeco dance lessons at the Cajun Zydeco Riverfront Stage; and second line dance lessons in the Children’s Headquarters near Audubon Aquarium. Between musical breaks, festival patrons are invited to learn traditional dance-styles such as the Charleston, Swing, Zydeco and Second-line. Instructors from NOLA Jitterbugs will demonstrate and educate visitors on these various dance styles.

Festival Sponsors for the 29th annual French Quarter Festival as of February 9, 2012 include: Capital One Bank (Presenting Sponsor), Abita Brewing Company, WWL-TV, Tropical Isle, Rouses Market, Harrah’s Foundation, French Market Corporation, Chevron, New TUMS Freshers, Louisiana Office of Tourism, City of New Orleans, Brown Foundation, Musician’s Performance Fund, Louisiana State Museum, PJ’s Coffee, nola.com, Louisiana Lottery, House of Blues, Hotel Monteleone, United Airlines, Pat O’s on the River, Hard Rock Café, Windsor Court Hotel, BMI, Court of Two Sisters, Tulane Medical Center, Tulane Hospital for Children at Tulane Medical Center, Hermann Grima House, Applitite, Musical Legends Park, New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park, Rolland Lock and Safe, Pelican Ice, SDT, OffBeat Magazine, Where Y’at Magazine, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, NOLA Jitterbugs, NOTV, NOLA Baby & Family Magazine, Musical Legends Park, Preservation Hall, The Historic New Orleans Collection, St. Louis Cathedral, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, NewOrleans.com, Louisiana Cookin’, Kids and Family New Orleans, IntheKnowla.com, Where Magazine, Curve Magazine, Ambush Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, Louisiana Life Magazine, Acadian Profile, MyNewOrleans.com, St. Charles Avenue Magazine, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, 96.1 The River, 101.5 WYNK, 102.5 WFMF, and 1150AM WJOB.

French Quarter Festivals, Inc. announces the launch of the 2012 Musician Sponsorship Program, a new initiative designed to help keep the „largest free music festival in the South‟ a high quality event that celebrates the best of New Orleans culture, while keeping it accessible to everyone and contributing to the economic well being of the French Quarter, the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana.

French Quarter Festival, now in its 29th year, has grown to be the largest free music festival in the South, attracting over 500,000 people to the historic neighborhood each year. French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is a self-sustaining non-profit organization. Festivals are made possible through sponsorship, participation fees and onsite beverage and merchandise sales. The production budget for this free event is over a million dollars, including costs for employing NOPD officers, sanitation, firewatch and EMS personnel.

Musician Sponsorship Program:
taking good care of local musicians and building for the future

Nineteen of the twenty stages at French Quarter Festival feature Louisiana Artists exclusively! The 20th stage is an „International Stage‟ featuring Traditional Jazz musicians from around the world. Over 800 local musicians perform annually at French Quarter Festival. For decades, entertainment sponsors have been third parties who agree to pay musicians for their performance in exchange for publicity and various other sponsor benefits. A recent survey of musicians showed an unbelievable myriad of „payments‟ – everything from online fundraising, Facebook appeals for sponsorship, to gift certificates, shopping sprees, studio time, a weekend stay at a camp across the lake, a restaurant tab – even babysitting. Notwithstanding, the survey revealed one vital fact – musicians absolutely love playing French Quarter Festival and look forward to it every year. In response to the survey, artists also conveyed just how much they look forward to the new Musician Sponsorship Program that French Quarter Festivals, Inc. will manage, removing the sponsorship burden from them.

French Quarter Festival‟s new program will facilitate the relationship between Artists and Sponsors, eliminating the Musician‟s responsibility in securing a Sponsor and freeing them to focus on their performance. Because French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, sponsorships are tax deductible – another great benefit for sponsors.

With the launch of this program, Louisiana businesses are invited to truly participate in this annual community celebration, making a major impact, and enjoying the benefits of sponsorship. Contrary to what many think, a free music festival is not really „free‟, but the French Quarter Festival has grown to become the „largest free music festival in the South‟. It continues to be voted „locals favorite festival‟ year after year and is third in economic impact for the City of New Orleans (Mardi Gras ranks number one and the Super Bowl is number two, when it is held in New Orleans).

French Quarter Festival is not just a fun, high quality event. It annually generates over $300 million in economic impact with over $15 million in direct tax revenue going to the city and the state as a direct result of the festival. Over 500,000 people attended French Quarter Festival in 2011.

According to Marci Schramm, Executive Director of French Quarter Festivals, Inc., “There is something very special about this type of support. Music sponsors come from all corners of our community and from all over the state. They share a love of local culture and care about preserving what makes Louisiana so special.” Current music sponsors include everyone from beloved brands like Zapp‟s, to heavy hitters like Chevron and Northrup Grumman Corporation. The family of music sponsors also includes law and accounting firms, doctors, veterinarians, restaurants, hotels, retail shops and many more. “Like the diverse styles of music heard at French Quarter Festival, we also embrace an eclectic mix of sponsors who love the celebration and what it does for the community,” added Schramm. “Music sponsorship is rewarding and fun for those who participate – a sponsor can do as much (or as little) as they wish to tell the world that they support French Quarter Festival. Some sponsors love to get up on stage and introduce „their‟ band while some just like to hang a banner during the sponsored act‟s set.”

Sponsors may sign up at the „Shorty‟ level ($500) or as „Pops‟ ($20,000) – or anything in between. Supporters truly help keep New Orleans music alive, while being recognized by over half a million people at the annual French Quarter Festival.

Contact French Quarter Festivals, Inc. at 504-522-5730 (email: georgia@fqfi.org) for more information about the Musician Sponsorship Program.

Tented stages, extended hours, new food and beverage offerings, and exciting new programming will enhance festival goers experience at the 2011 Satchmo SummerFest.

The Experience

Satchmo SummerFest has extended its hours from noon to 8 pm on Saturday, August 6^th and Sunday, August 7^th.  For the first time, fans will enjoy ‘Satchmo in the Shade’ – musical performances under completely tented areas. The new 40-by-80-foot tents will cover stage areas and provide relief from the August heat.  In addition, picnic table dining areas on festival grounds will also be tented.  ‘Satchmo in the Shade’ is sponsored by Where Y’at Magazine.

Satchmo SummerFest introduces two new beverages this year:  an Absolut Mango Daiquiri and Malibu Rum Piña Colada Daiquiri in souvenir cups. In addition, local-festival-favorite ‘Cool Fruit Sensations’ will join Satchmo SummerFest for the first time, fresh-squeezed revitalizing fruit blends with a choice of traditional or cocktail blends. A sample of the flavors include: Blueberry Lemonade, Arnold Palmer, Strawberry Lemonade, Blueberry Tea, Pineapple Lemonade and Watermelon Lemon Tea.

Satchmo SummerFest presents a new delicious menu, featuring some of New Orleans favorite restaurants.  New restaurants at the 2011 festival include: Lasyone’s (Natchitoches Meat and Crawfish Pies); The Thee Muses (Mini Lamb Burgers with Goat Cheese and Tomato Chutney as well as Creole Tomato Gazpacho with Louisiana Crabmeat); The Bombay Club (Gulf Fish & Shrimp Escabeche);  Old Nawlins Cookery (Charbroiled Oysters); and Royal House (Gator Burger Sliders).  A complete list of restaurants and menus can be found at www.fqfi.org\satchmosummerfest.

Exciting Programming at the Satchmo Seminars

2011 has been an incredible year for advancements in Armstrong scholarship.  The worldwide release of a new Armstrong box set will take place during the 2011 Satchmo SummerFest.  The release is called ‘Satchmo’ and has been hailed as the ‘most comprehensive Armstrong box set ever made available’.   Producer Richard Havers will be at the festival to present the ‘Keynote Conversation’ on Thursday, August 4^th (Louis Armstrong’s birthday).  He will discuss this exciting new work and the never-before-heard material that it contains.  Richard Havers is a critically acclaimed British music writer and concert producer for some of the most famous artists in the world.

Ricky Riccardi is author of the new Louis Armstrong biography, What a Wonderful World, which focuses on the magic of Armstrong’s later years.  Riccardi’s book offers a fresh perspective on one of the world’s most famous and beloved artists and he has received incredible reviews since the book was released earlier this year.  Ricky will be joined by Armstrong House Museum and Archive Director Michael Cogswell at 2 p.m. on Friday, August 5^th at Maison (508 Frenchmen Street) to discuss this new book.

Keith Spera, Times Picayune writer and author of the new Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal and the Music of New Orleans, will discuss his new book at Satchmo SummerFest. Groove Interrupted focuses on the post-Katrina experiences of over a

dozen well known New Orleans musicians, including Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino,

Jeremy Davenport, Pete Fountain, Aaron Neville and Gatemouth Brown.  Keith will be joined by trumpeter Jeremy Davenport at 12 noon on Sunday, August 7^th to discuss the book and the behind-the-scenes reality of making a jazz album in the modern era, with all its creative and economic challenges.

Meet the authors and

get books autographed and personalized at Satchmo SummerFest

Richard Havers, Ricky Riccardi and Keith Spera will be available to sign their books and the box set during Satchmo SummerFest.  These newly released books and the box set will be on sale at the festival merchandise booth (Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Avenue) and at Satchmo Seminars (Maison, 508 Frenchmen Street).   Shipping is also available for a nominal charge.