THE RETURN OF THE SHUTTLE AT FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL! Patrons can ride the ‘Capital One Second Line Shuttle’ for FREE, all weekend long and enjoy the music, food, the French Quarter neighborhood and SPECTACULAR SPECIAL EVENTS AT FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL Save the dates for festival fun! April 9 – 11, 2010

NEW ORLEANS (March 24, 2010) – The 27th annual French Quarter Festival presented by Capital One Bank is less than 20 days away and fans are actively planning festival weekend schedules. French Quarter Festival was voted ‘favorite festival’ six times and over 441,000 people attended in 2009. Preliminary indicators show that 2010 will be equally or more popular with locals and visitors alike.

The ‘Capital One Bank Second Line Shuttle’ at French Quarter Festival
In partnership with Capital One Bank, French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is proud to announce the exciting return of the festival shuttle – renamed the ‘Capital One Second Line Shuttle’. In their commitment to keep French Quarter Festival a quality free event for the community, Capital One will offer FREE round-trip shuttle service throughout festival weekend. “In a city known for letting the good times roll, the French Quarter Festival serves up a huge portion of fun with a distinct New Orleans flavor,” said Steve Hemperley, Greater New Orleans Market President for Capital One Bank. “The main ingredients are legendary music and great, local food — mix them together, and you have a recipe for an unforgettable three-day weekend in one of America’s most historic and charming neighborhoods. And all of us at Capital One Bank are honored to play such a role in an event that showcases so much of what makes our city truly special.”

Shuttle Specifics
Official parking will be in lots F – located across from the Convention Center at Convention Center Boulevard and Henderson Street. Over 1,700 parking spaces are available and special event parking is only $10 per day per vehicle. Shuttles will run from 10:30 am – 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10:30 am – 8 pm on Sunday. Parking is based on availability and festival goers are encouraged to begin their day early to take advantage of this convenience. Shuttle service will be provided by Hotard.

Most visitors equate French Quarter Festival with live local music and incredible food, but alongside the 180+ musical performances and 105 food and beverage booths, French Quarter Festival also hosts an impressive array of special events during festival weekend, all of which are free and open to the public. Some events are new for 2010 and others have taken place annually, since the festival’s inception in 1984.

A 27-year tradition, French Quarter Festival kicks off French Quarter Festival with a colorful second-line parade, which takes place on Friday April 9th. The parade rolls at 10am from the 100 Block of Bourbon Street, where lively revelers, musicians, and festival goers will second-line throughout the historic French Quarter into the gates of Jackson Square to open the festival. Immediately following the parade, Connie Jones and French Quarter Festival All-stars, along with Pete Fountain, toast the crowd in Jackson Square and usher in the 27th Annual French Quarter Festival. This always-popular event attracts groups from all over the world who participate.

Another long-time French Quarter Festival event is the International Music Colloquium, which features academic presentations on the history of New Orleans music. Held annually in conjunction with French Quarter Festival, the 14th Annual New Orleans International Music Colloquium offers a two-day series of informal presentations, interesting panels, live music, and interviews dedicated to the music of New Orleans. Presenters are lively and entertaining; hands-on demonstrations often illustrate their lectures. This year, the colloquium will celebrate the 100th anniversary of New Orleans’ native, Louis Prima. Guest presenters will present lectures, panels, live music, and films inspired by the ‘King of Swing’.

New events for 2010 include the Rouses Crawfish Eating Competition, which is produced in collaboration with the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). At noon on Saturday, April 10th, professional eaters from across the country will gather at the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint to wage an eating battle with Louisiana crawfish. Locals and tourists are invited to attend and cheer on their favorite ‘gurgitators’ as they compete to consume the most mudbugs. Prior to the competition, festival-goers unfamiliar with proper crawfish-eating technique will be given a lesson on peeling, pinching and sucking down one Louisiana’s favorite crustaceans. Rouses will also be serving hot boiled crawfish all weekend long at the Old U.S. Mint, and fans can enjoy one of the city’s oldest dining traditions in close proximity to the ‘Cajun-Zydeco Showcase’ and the ‘Esplanade in the Shade’ stages at festival.

Also new for 2010, Fleur de Lindy will present free social dancing and lessons for adults and children at French Quarter Festival. Throughout the weekend, the French Market Traditional Jazz Stage will feature classes in the following styles of dance: Second Line, Charleston, Swing, Fox-Trot, Traditional Jazz, and Lindy Hop. In addition, dance classes for children, including Swing and Second Line, will be available at the ‘Children’s Headquarters’, located at the riverfront plaza, near Audubon Aquarium, on Saturday and Sunday. All classes are taught by professional dancers from NOLA Jitterbugs, Dancing Man 504, Dance Quarter, as well as other special guests. Half-Hour, all-level dance classes proceed every performance at the French Market. Two classes per day are offered at the Children’s Headquarters. All classes are free and open to the public. See music schedule for details.

This year the French Quarter Festival Children’s Headquarters, features family fun, kid friendly-entertainment and education projects. Activities include face painting, nature activities, tai chi, karate and yoga for kids, ‘Milk the Moment’ mustaches, dance lessons, ‘green’ projects, Satchmo collage-making, museum activities for kids, and more! This area also features family friendly music on the Kid’s Stage. The Children’s Headquarters, sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park and Tulane Hospital for Children, will be open from 11am – 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Festival-goers are also invited to participate in other free activities throughout the three-day weekend and are encouraged to explore all that French Quarter Festival has to offer. Other special events within the festival include Battle of the Bands, Dancing at Dusk, the St. Louis Cathedral Spring Concert, and the World’s Largest Jazz Brunch. A popular tradition for locals and visitors alike – the kickoff party and fundraiser ‘TGIF’ (Thank Goodness it’s Festival!) party takes place the evening of Thursday, April 8th on the Steamboat Natchez, dockside. Tickets are only $55 in advance ($65 after April 1st) and the event is open to the public. Almost 1,100 people attended the TGIF kickoff party in 2009.

Sponsors for French Quarter Festival include: Capital One Bank, Louisiana Office of Tourism, Harrah’s Foundation, Abita Brewing Company, Southern Comfort, Coca-Cola, WWL-TV, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, French Market Corporation, Cox Business Louisiana, Musician’s Performance Fund, Rouses Market, Fetzer, National Endowment for the Arts, Louisiana State Museum, Community Coffee, Community Arts Grant made possible by the City of New Orleans as administered by the Arts Council of New Orleans, Crystal Hot Sauce, nola.com, Louisiana Lottery, BMI, Chevron, Heyward Foundation, Continental Airlines, Pat O’s on the River, Hard Rock Café, Court of Two Sisters, Tulane Medical Center, Tulane Hospital for Children at Tulane Medical Center, applitite, New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park, Milk the Moment, BMI Foundation, Rolland Lock and Safe, Whole Foods, TRS – The Registration System, WWOZ 90.7 FM, OffBeat Magazine, Where Y’at Magazine, New Orleans Fine Hotels, Inn on Bourbon, Windsor Court Hotel, Café Beignet, New Orleans Red Dress Run sponsored by the New Orleans Hash House Harriers, Fleur de Lindy, dancingman504.com, dancequarter.com, Nola Baby & Family Magazine, Musical Legends Park, Preservation Hall, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Le Petit Theatre, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center, NewOrleans.com, Louisiana Cookin’, Louisiana’s Health & Fitness Magazine, Vocero USA, The New Orleans Levee, Taste of the South Magazine, WWNO 89.9FM, WWL AM870, 102.5 WFMF, 96.1 KRVE, AM1150 WJBO, 101.5 WYNK, 107.5 KCIL, 106.3 KXOR, 96.7 KMYO, and 1490AM KJIN. For more information on all FQFI festivals and events, call 504-522-5730 or visit the festival’s website at www.fqfi.org.

Special Events on Friday, April 9, 2010

• French Quarter Festival Second-Line Kickoff Parade – 100 block of Bourbon Street to Jackson Square – 10 AM
• 14th Annual New Orleans International Music Colloquium, featuring academic presentations on the history of New Orleans
  music – Jazz National Historic Park, Visitors Center, 916 N. Peters (see schedule below)
  • 9:00 - Joseph Logsdon Memorial Coffee & Welcome
  • 9:30 – 10:50 – BBC Documentary or ‘The Chief’
  • 11:00 – 12:00 – McDonogh 15 Choir – Young musicians from McDonogh 15 Elementary School for the Creative Arts sing and play some of their favorite
    songs from Africa to America.
  • 12 noon – Presentation of NOIMC Award & Louis Prima Centennial Cake Cutting Ceremony with family member
    Joyce Prima
  • 1:00 – 2:00 – U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
  • This ensemble comprised of members from the premier United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” performs a
    rollicking set of Louisiana informed jazz, blues, swamp pop, and a special musical tribute to Louis Prima.
  • 2:15 – 3:00 – Jump Jive and Wail – Dancing to the music of Louis Prima in the 1930s and 40’s
    3:00 – 3:45 – A Musical Tribute to Louis Prima
  • Under the direction of pianist Tom Hook, this forty five minute performance will include an eight piece band, plus a
    vocalist, for a swinging set of Louis Prima favorites.
  • 4:00 – 4:50 - The Musical Legacy of the Prima Family
  • Join Dr. Bruce Raeburn, curator of Tulane University’s Hogan Jazz Archive, as he discusses the rich legacy of the
    Prima musical
• Open Tours of the Hermann-Grima House – 820 St. Louis, and Gallier House – 1132 Royal – 11AM to 3PM (last tours
  begin at 2PM)
• New for 2010! Fleur de Lindy and French Quarter Festival present social dancing at tFrench Quarter Festival. The French
  Market Traditional Jazz Stage will feature classes in the following dances: Second Line, Charleston, Swing, Fox-Trot,
  Traditional Jazz, and Lindy Hop. Classes are taught by professional dancers from NOLA Jitterbugs, Dancing Man 504, Dance
  Quarter, as well as other special guests. Half-Hour, all-level dance classes proceed every band. All classes are free and
  open to the public. See music schedule for details.
• The Historic New Orleans Collection presents the eleventh annual Bill Russell Lecture: “The Musical Legacy of
  George Lewis” – with moderator Bruce Raeburn, curator, Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University and panelists; Barry
  Martyn, drummer and author; Nick Gagliano, former manager of George Lewis; and music by the Tom Sanction Trio. Williams
  Research Center, 410 Chartres Street – 6:30 p.m.

Special Events on Saturday, April 10, 2010

• Pirates Alley Juried Art Show – presented by the New Orleans Art Association; over 100 artists displaying original fine art in Pirates Alley, Pere Antoine Alley, Cabildo Alley and Royal Street – 8AM to 6PM
• 14th Annual New Orleans International Music Colloquium, featuring academic presentations on the history of New Orleans music – NEW LOCATION! The Historic New Orleans Collection, Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street (see schedule below)
  • 10:00 – Remembering Legendary Guitarist Snoozer Quinn
  • 11:00 – The New Orleans Jazz Museum & the Revival of Jazz: Panel Discussion
  • 12:00 noon – Louis Prima on Film, ???? BBC Documentary or ‘The Chief’
  • 1:00 – Setting the Record Straight: Panel Discussion – The Borenstein & Rose families tell their story
  • 1:00 – 2:00pm – Norma Miller book signing at A Tisket A Tasket (910 Decatur Street); from 1-3PM on Saturday. http://www.normamillerswings.com
  • 3:00 - Louis Prima in New Orleans & His Early Recordings presented by historian Dan Meyer
  • 4:00 – 6:00 – The Prima and Segreto Family Stories – Oral History Interview with Joe Segreto. The discussion will
    include the early days of Louis Armstrong, the 500 Club, and the later days of Louis Prima.
• Open Tours of the Hermann-Grima House – 820 St. Louis, and Gallier House – 1132 Royal – 11AM to 3PM (last tours
  begin at 2PM)
• Fleur de Lindy & French Quarter Festival present social dancing at the French Quarter Festival! The French Market
  Traditional Jazz Stage will feature classes in the following dances: Second Line, Charleston, Swing, Fox-Trot, Traditional
  Jazz, and Lindy Hop. The Children’s Headquarters on the riverfront plaza at Audubon Aquarium will also feature classes for
  kids. All classes are taught by professional dancers from NOLA Jitterbugs, Dancing Man 504, Dance Quarter, as well as other
  special guests. All Classes Are Free and Open to the Public. See music schedule for times and details.
• Rouses Crawfish Eating Contest hosted by IFEA, the International Federation of Eating at Louisiana State Museum’s Old
  U.S. Mint – 12 NOON
• NORMA MILLER “Queen of Swing” will be in New Orleans for Fleur de Lindy and French Quarter Festival! She was an
  original member of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers and performed with Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Chick Webb, and many other
  Jazz Greats.
  FLEUR DE LINDY is hosting a book signing, Make time during French Quarter Festival to stop by and pick up a copy of this
  great book. If you love Swing dancing, this is a glimpse into the past, present, and future.
  Tisket-A-Tasket Books, 910 Decatur – 1 – 3PM
• Children’s Headquarters on the riverfront plaza at Audubon Aquarium – face painting, nature activities, tai chi, karate and
  yoga for kids, ‘Got Milk?’ mustaches, swing dancing lessons, museum activities for kids, music on the Kid’s Stage, family fun
  entertainment, and more! 11AM to 6PM
• Opera at Dusk – operatic performances with musical accompaniment; sponsored by La Belle Galerie; 300 block of Chartres –
  6PM
• Battle of the Bands – traditional jazz bands compete in a rousing playoff – 400 block of Royal – 5:30 to 7PM

Special Events on Sunday, April 11, 2010

• Pirates Alley Juried Art Show – presented by the New Orleans Art Association; over 100 artists displaying original fine art in
  Pirates Alley, Pere Antoine Alley, Cabildo Alley and Royal Street – 8AM to 6PM
• Fleur de Lindy & French Quarter Festival present social dancing at the French Quarter Festival! The French Market
  Traditional Jazz Stage will feature classes in the following dances: Second Line, Charleston, Swing, Fox-Trot, Traditional
  Jazz, and Lindy Hop. The Children’s Headquarters on the riverfront plaza at Audubon Aquarium will also feature classes for
  kids. All classes are taught by professional dancers from NOLA Jitterbugs, Dancing Man 504, Dance Quarter, as well as other
  special guests. All Classes Are Free and Open to the Public. See music schedule for times and details.
• Children’s Headquarters on the riverfront plaza at Audubon Aquarium – face painting, nature activities, tai chi, karate and
  yoga for kids, ‘Got Milk?’ mustaches, swing dancing lessons, museum activities for kids, music on the Kid’s Stage, family fun
  entertainment, and more! 11AM to 6PM
• St. Louis Cathedral Annual Spring Concert – Concert Choir and Orchestra under the direction of Dreux Montegut will
  present the Requiem in d minor by W. A. Mozart with soloists Melanie Russel, Clara O’Brien, Dana Wilson, and Kenneth
  Weber – 7PM
• Dancing at Dusk – You’ll be ‘In the Mood’ for a ‘Sentimental Journey’ with the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller,
  Count Basie and other favorites from the 30s, 40s and 50s. Come dance and swing at this festival favorite with Rocky’s Hot
  Fox Trot Orchestra – 400 block of Royal – 6PM to 7:15PM