It's no surprise that the Crescent City would play host to such an event--as the cradle of jazz, New Orleans certainly has a viable birthright claim on the art form. Even today, its streets pulse with the rhythms, melodies, dissonant flights of fancy, and sonic passions that encompass the musical universe as a whole. You don't have to pay a cover and enter a bar or club to experience New Orleans' tangible musical essence. Whether it be an elderly blind man ripping a blues jam on his gleaming Gibson in a side alley, a group of neighborhood kids hammering out a drum-circle fervor on upturned trash cans, or a Dixie ensemble marchin' in the saints on a French-Quarter sidewalk, music happens, literally, everywhere.

So it makes perfect sense that once a year, the city brings the music into a vast outdoor space to pay homage to its own musical magnificence and to the performers who continue to bless us with their art. But the buck doesn't stop there--Jazz Fest, as the event is affectionately called, is as much about food as it is about music, further emphasizing how much of a heritage festival it really is. Get ready to enter a wonderland of booming brass sections, washboard riffs, conga manipulations, and a whole lotta crawfish. No, folks, Jazz Fest is not for the light of heart--it is only for those who relish all that is good, delicious, and funky in the world.

On the Go, from Fais Do-Do to Congo
Spanning the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May, Jazz Fest serves up a hefty menu of musical treats throughout its reign of pleasure. The festival fairgrounds comprise more than a dozen stages where musicians and performers laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) for the course of the day, each showcasing different musical genres and styles. Performances occur simultaneously, so Fest goers can wander around from stage to stage and catch short pieces or long portions of musical acts throughout the day. It's enough to nearly make any avid music fan's head explode with joy--so much music to digest, and so little time! If that's your only challenge during Jazz Fest, then you know you're poised for the week or weekend of a lifetime.

While the three aforementioned, larger stage areas encompass more musical variety, the other festival stages home in on more specific niches. The Lagniappe stage highlights lesser-known local and international jazz and blues acts, delivering on its moniker's promise (in local slang, lagniappe means an unexpected surprise, a treat that you did not anticipate). The Fais Do-Do stage brings bayou sounds to the forefront, with zydeco and other Cajun-folk musical traditions filling the air. This stage, with its soft yet fascinating styles, also lives up to its name--a French colloquialism analogous to "going night-night," drifting off into a dreamscape of your own making. Dixieland jazz takes center stage in Economy Hall, where you're sure to see the audience struttin' its stuff.

At Congo Square, acts from Mali, Guadeloupe, Brazil, and other countries of Africa and the African Diaspora take the stage. In this performance space, artists pay homage to the roots of New-World music, showing through their art how traditional sounds evolved into contemporary jazz, blues, funk, tribal grooves, hip-hop, and more. It's no surprise that this stage takes the audience on such a historic journey--the real Congo Square, a French-Quarter park, is hailed as the original site of jazz music. Back in the 18th century, when Creole-French colonists occupied New Orleans, Congo Square was the only public space where slaves were permitted to gather and dance. The intense drumming, chanting, and music making that ensued there evolved over more than a century into a radical art form that became known as jazz.

The Jazz Tent features all flavors of the jazz palette, offering shaded respite and smooth sounds to soothe the overheated. Similarly, the Gospel Tent provides a cool oasis, yet the musical adventures within are sizzlin' hot! This tent literally crackles with energy. At the Native American Village, local tribes talk story, perform music, and demonstrate rituals and traditional arts. The Kids' Tent puts on special musical shows, storytelling sessions, and more for the little ones in the crowd. Lastly, the Miner Music Heritage Stage and the Grandstand serve as sites for live music demonstrations and interviews.

You might spot a parade or two weaving through the fairgrounds on any given day. These steppers don their wildest costumes and arm themselves with hand-held instruments and lots of crowd-rousing enthusiasm, adding to the spectacle of the Fest and reminding you just how next-level jubilant New Orleans can be.

Soft-Shell Crawfish, Crawfish Etoufée, Crawfish Boil, Crawfish Bread . . .
No, you haven't run into the N'awlins version of Forrest Gump's shrimp-loving friend--you're standing smack in the center of the fairgrounds, wondering what you should eat! New Orleans' best restaurants choose one or two signature specialties each to sell at Jazz Fest, and boy, are they tasty! The choices are endless, and while crawfish is certainly a staple ingredient on the Fest menu, there are plenty of dishes that don't include this crustacean delight. While listing all the savory treats showcased at the Fest could merit its own article (or two!), there are a few dishes that nary a Fest goer should feast without.

You're off to a good start when you breakfast with an iced café au lait and a couple beignets (fried dough topped with powdered sugar) from the city's famed Café du Monde. When you're ready to delve into heavier territory, sample a delicious Po' Boy. This trademark N'awlins sandwich features your seafood (soft-shell crab or soft-shell crawfish are mouthwateringly good) or meat (alligator and barbecued brisket have invoked many smiles of satisfaction) of choice on a French roll, served with a melange of condiments. A visit to the bayou wouldn't be complete without tasting its famous spicy stews, served over rice: okra-based gumbo; thick, savory etoufée; and the smorgasbord of delights that is jambalaya. Andouille sausage, fried green tomatoes, sweet-potato pone, oysters galore, and other local treats are dished out a-plenty, as are Caribbean- and African-influenced cuisine. Perhaps the most delicious entrée of all is Crawfish Monica, a creamy, spicy pasta dish featuring the bayou's favorite seafood. Don't forget to indulge your sweet tooth with a buttery praline or sinfully rich white-chocolate bread pudding. Wash it all down with a few strawberry lemonades--the perfect fairgrounds thirst-quencher that you can't get enough of--and your taste buds will be raging as hard as your dancin' feet.

Are You Full Yet?
And when I say full, I mean full of food and music. No, you say? Well, then you're in luck, because when the sun sets over the Crescent City and the fairgrounds close for the evening, the music's not over! As funk front man Karl Denson (a regular Jazz Fest late-night headliner) has been heard to say, "Sleep is the enemy!" The nighttime is the right time for a whole other slew of shows to take the stage and rock your booty through dawn.