FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OH, WHEN THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL COMES MARCHING IN NEW ORLEANS (February 11, 2010) - It’s that time of year again where heritage meets music in New Orleans! The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, more commonly known as Jazz Fest, is a festival expanding over two weekends where musicians and bands from all genres, cooks, and craftspeople come together to entertain over 400,000 visitors. Headliners this year include: Lionel Richie, Simon & Garfunkel, Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic, Aretha Franklin, The Neville Brothers, and performing in their first Jazz Festival, Pearl Jam. Jazz Fest cooks won’t leave visitors hungry with what they will have prepared! From New Orleans delicacies, such as crawfish and alligator dishes, to more traditional dishes, like barbecue and tasty desserts, there will always be an opportunity to discover old favorites as well as new and exotic foods. Visitors will also be able to travel around the fairgrounds entering marketplaces and villages that celebrate cultures like African, African-Caribbean, Latino, Native Americans and Louisiana Folk life. It’s in these areas where the purchase of jewelry, clothing, paintings and sculptures, much of which are handcrafted, can be made. Visitors will also enjoy appropriately themed music while shopping in celebration of these cultures. Jazz Fest will be held over the weekends of April 23-25 and April 29-May 2 at the Fair Grounds Race Course, just ten minutes from the French Quarter. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a proud tradition for New Orleans that has continued for 30 years. From its inception, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was envisioned as an important event which would bring vast cultural significance and popular appeal. The Festival was the culmination of years of discussions and efforts by city leaders who wanted to create an event worthy of the city’s legacy as the birthplace of jazz. Tickets are currently available for purchase online with the ability to upgrade, allowing visitors to gain more access to the festival’s events. For more information and the complete lineup, visit the official website of Jazz Fest at www.nojazzfest.com.

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