Thirteen stages hosting more than 500 live performances over two epic weekends, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a joyous celebration of music and culture in true NOLA fashion — which is to say it’s going to be hot, it’s going to be delicious and it’s guaranteed to be a riotous good time.

Over the course of two consecutive long weekends in late April and early May — dates for Jazz Fest 2019, which happens to be the festival’s 50th anniversary, are April 25-28 and May 2-5 — tents and stages across the sprawling fair ground site emanate an almost dizzying barrage of sounds: jazz, blues, gospel, latin, funk, hip-hop, soul, cajun, brass bands. Headlining acts criss-cross musical genres and this year include everyone from Katy Perry to Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt to Ziggy Marley, the Doobie Brothers to Alanis Morissette, K-pop sensation Boyfriend and Dave Matthews Band.

Word to the wise: Come hungry — and with some cash on hand. Festival devotees anticipate digging into favorite dishes from beloved local food vendors almost as much as grooving to the day’s musical lineup. (Note that vendors are cash only.) Between sets, queue up for gumbo and jambalaya, sweet and savory beignets, all variations of po’ boys and crawfish, too — crawfish boil, crawfish bread and Crawfish Monica, a Jazz Fest classic that’s best described as a creamy pasta dish with a Creole twist.

And because there are few things NOLA loves more than a good parade, be on the lookout for roving merriment; there are more than 40 parades scheduled over the course of the eight festival days. Ready to boogie on down to Jazz Fest? … (continue reading)