Festivals

New Orleans is a city that really loves a good party. Never was that more evident than a couple weeks after Katrina, when the stubborn residents who had refused to evacuate threw a jazz funeral in order to mourn their many losses, and to celebrate their own survival and commitment to renewal. And what happens when a party gets too big? It becomes a festival. That's what happened over the years to the Jazz & Heritage Festival -- it evolved from an event where people were literally begged to take free tickets into a hugely crowded, multiday affair that has, relatively speaking, not that much to do with jazz (but is no less fun for it).

New Orleanians know what makes a great party: really good food and music, and lots of it. That's what you will find at any festival in Louisiana -- regardless of what it is ostensibly celebrating. Anything is an excuse for a party here; you can experience festivals centered around swamps, gumbo, crawfish, frogs, tomatoes, architecture, and more.

You can get information on many of the events mentioned in this guide by contacting the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2020 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130 (tel. 800/672-6124 or 504/566-5011; www.neworleanscvb.com).