This weekend we get to reap the benefits of Jazz Fest profits at the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation works tirelessly to bring us several free festivals throughout the year, and they are made possible in large part due to proceeds from Jazz Fest tickets. The Treme Creole Gumbo Festival is the perfect fall celebration, as with the cooler weather, our tummies are ready for some nice, hot New Orleans flavor. While visitors are more than welcome, free festivals like these are really geared towards locals — a chance for us to celebrate our culture together. And they are also another chance for our local musicians to take center stage and continue to work and perform here in their home town.
(photo from dotpolka on Flickr)
This weekend, we’ll be able to get cozy with hot bowls of gumbo and other food items from eight different New Orleans food vendors like Miss Linda’s Soul Food, Café Carmo, Li’l Dizzy’s Café, Bourbon House, Brocato’s Eat Dat, and Praline Connection, among others. What’s more, this year, the festival is introducing something totally different. Each gumbo vendor will be taking part in a Vegan Gumbo Contest, providing their individual spin and expertise on a meatless gumbo option in addition to their more traditional gumbo offering. Collaborating with PETA and the NOTMC, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is using this unique opportunity to help promote healthier eating in New Orleans.
As far as festival entertainment goes, to further warm your soul, New Orleans brass bands will be taking the stage all weekend long. You’ll be able to catch local greats like Glen David Andrews, Treme Brass Band, Hot 8 Brass Band, and John Boutte, as well as the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Brass Band. In honor of the Treme’s strong female heritage, including being founded by free, female, black landowners 200 years ago, the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival has a strong female focus this year. The world’s only all-female brass band, The Original Pinettes Brass Band, will be leading a second line of the city’s best female dance troupes as they make their way to the stage for a performance and dance contest.
Catch the Treme Brass Band at the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival. (photo from Joel Mann on Flickr)
Tradition and innovation will collide at the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival, so come on out and be a part of our amazing community. This weekend we not only get to celebrate the things that make us stand out as a city, we get to enjoy the hard work and dedication of organizations that fight to better our community and preserve our culture.