New Orleans Jazz Festival

New Orleans Jazz Fest has been running since the early 1970s, and if you've been, you already know - this isn't just a music festival, it's a cultural institution. Two weekends at the Fair Grounds Race Course, dozens of stages, hundreds of artists, and some of the best food you'll eat in your entire life. Not festival food. Actual amazing food.

The music covers everything. Jazz, obviously, but also blues, gospel, R&B, rock, funk, Cajun, zydeco, hip-hop, country, and pretty much anything else that has roots in the American South. You'll hear a brass band on one stage, a legendary blues guitarist on the next, and a Grammy-winning pop artist headlining the main stage. The programming is intentionally eclectic, and that's what makes it special.

But let's be real: the food is why a lot of people come back year after year. The crawfish Monica alone is worth the price of admission. Cochon de lait po'boys, fried softshell crab, Cajun jambalaya, beignets - the food vendors at Jazz Fest aren't playing around. Bring an empty stomach and abandon any pretense of eating healthy for the weekend.

The Fair Grounds are in the Gentilly neighborhood, and getting there is easy by streetcar or rideshare. After the festival, the whole city becomes the after-party. Frenchmen Street is where the local music scene lives - hit Spotted Cat, d.b.a., or the Maison for live music that goes until the wee hours.

Late April and early May in New Orleans means warm and humid. Wear comfortable shoes (the grounds get muddy), bring sunscreen, and stay hydrated. The festival is a marathon, not a sprint.

Find Jazz Fest tickets on Evil Tickets and get to New Orleans. Your taste buds will thank you.