New Orleans Jazz Fest

Jazz Fest

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, or Jazz Fest as it is known, is one of the largest annual festivals in Louisiana.  Jazz Fest began in 1970 and has never looked back.  Year after year the festival draws crowds of the hundreds of thousands, and brings music lovers from around the world together to enjoy some of the world’s most talented musicians.  Here you can find cultural music, pop, rock, rap, instrumental, blues, and of course jazz music.  The festival will offer food stands with some of the best that Louisiana has to offer.  There is truly something for everyone at this festival.

How to Guide:

Cost: Around $60 for a day pass in General Admission.  Tickets can also be sold in packages, but the prices are more expensive.  You can spend a larger sum on other tickets to get VIP and parking passes. I recommend General Admission, unless you want an exclusive experience, just arrive really early to get front row seats.

Where to stay: The festival takes place on the Fair Grounds Race Course.  There are seven listed hostels in New Orleans.  The cheapest four (dorm style) are India House Backpacker’s Hostel, AAE Bourbon House Hostel, New Orleans Hostel (Marquette House), Joe and Flo’s Candlelight Hostel New Orleans.  Your best bet for proximity would be either India House or Joe and Flo’s.  These are both located between the fairgrounds and the French Quarter, or downtown.  You can find either on Hostel World.  If hostels are not your thing, check out some of the local hotels using Kayak or Hotwire, just keep in mind that the prices are going to be a bit higher, especially in the French Quarter.

Getting Around:  I would not personally recommend that non-locals walk between the fair grounds and their place to stay.  My reasoning is two-fold.  First, New Orleans is a big city and it is easy to get lost.  Second, walking into the wrong area of town can get you into some sticky situations.  Make use of the taxis available and street cars.  If you wish to drive, you can, and parking is available, but likely you will still be walking some.

Getting into New Orleans:  Unless you are driving from out of town, New Orleans International Airport (MSY), is a busy airports with common flights from some of the countries major cities.

New Orleans explained:  New Orleans is a strange mixture of many different things.  Over the years the city has been challenged by  economics, politics, culture, and most recently nature.  But nevertheless, the city is still around.  A testament to the heart and desire of the people, no doubt.  New Orleans is a wonderful place to visit and will leave you with lasting memories.

I hope this helped you to understand more about New Orleans’s Jazz Fest.  If you have further questions about traveling Louisiana, backpacking or budgeting tips, please check out other articles on my site.