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    Jazz Fest 2017

    First-timer's Guide to New Orleans Jazz Fest: Good times roll with great music, food and people-watching

    Bill Van Rysdam
    May 3, 2017 | 11:51 am

    Like to hear great live music, sample delicious Cajun/Creole delicacies, and enjoy some epic people watching? Then you need to get to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

    I have heard about this festival for years, but can honestly say I had no idea how enormous it was. This year’s festival, commonly called Jazz Fest, features Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Harry Connick Jr., Snoop Dog and many more top acts over two weekends; it continues through May 7 (click here to see the complete list of entertainers).

    So how does Jazz Fest pack so many acts together? They have three very large stages (Acura Stage, Gentilly Stage and Congo Square Stage) on the grounds of the massive Fair Grounds Race Course with bands performing at the same time. The day I attended I had to choose between Maroon 5, Alabama Shakes and Usher. There are also eight other acts on smaller stages, including the Jazz Tent, the Gospel Tent and the marvelous Blues Tent where you can hear a wide variety of interpretations of this truly Americana genre of music.

    The festival is so crammed with music that Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine quipped, “We’ll have to reconfigure our set so we’re not doing the acoustic part while the Blues Tent is shredding (as Jonny Lang was performing). It’s literally making my brain hurt.”

    You would think Jazz Fest is all about the music, but there is a lot more to take in. The food list is as impressive as the music lineup, with Creole/Cajun servings of jambalaya, po-boys, muffuletta sandwiches, boiled crawfish, shrimp and grits, red beans and rice, boudin balls, and many other tasty treats.

    You can’t go wrong with any of it, but locals head straight for the Crawfish Bread stand. This decadent collection of warm bread with melted cheese and crawfish will have you asking, "Where have you been all of my life?" Get there early and eat one as soon as you can, then head over later in the day to chow down on a bowl of Crawfish Monica — a bowl of totini pasta with bits of crawfish and enough cream and butter to clog even the most healthy of arteries.

    Looking for something sweet? You’ll find plenty of Sno-Ball stands, praline stuffed beignets, and the infamous Roman Chewing Candy Company. Another pleasant surprise is the reasonable prices for food and drink. Water is $3 a bottle, the Crawfish Bread is $7 and beers (you knew they had to have alcohol there right?) start around $8.

    After spending nine hours of listening to awesome live music, pounding down great food and hanging around with festival attendees that are as varied as the music and food, all I can say is “Laissez le bon Temps Rouler!"

    Jazz Fest is a New Orleans tradition.

    Jazz Fest in New Orleans entrance
      
    Photo courtesy of New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau
    Jazz Fest is a New Orleans tradition.
    music
    news/travel

    tourism news

    Houston rises on new list of best summer travel destinations

    Amber Heckler
    May 14, 2025 | 4:00 pm
    Houston skyline downtown at night
    IdeasLaboratory.com
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    Not even triple-digit heat will deter tourists from visiting Space City this summer: The Houston metro has climbed into the No. 35 spot on WalletHub's list of the "Best Summer Travel Destinations" in 2025.

    The report annually ranks 100 U.S metros based on attractions, safety, activities, weather, local costs, and travel costs and hassles. Factors that determine each city's ranking include flight costs, the number of affordable restaurants with high ratings, crime rates, and more.

    The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area in Florida is the No. 1 most sought after summer travel destination this year.

    Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land moved up 10 spots from its 2024 rank, and it previously ranked 38th in 2023.

    Here's how WalletHub broke down Houston's ranking in each of the six main categories:

    • No. 7 – Attractions rank
    • No. 16 – Local costs rank
    • No. 26 – Activities rank
    • No. 50 – Weather rank
    • No. 88 – Safety rank
    • No. 89 – Travel costs and hassles rank

    Houston ranked the highest in the attractions and local costs categories, proving that the city's affordability is a major benefit for visitors as well as locals. There's surely no shortage of things to do in the city, from dining at a new steakhouse, to checking out a local bookstore, or enjoying a summer concert series at Meow Wolf.

    But there's so much more that goes into choosing the right place for a memorable summer trip, says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. Creating and sticking to a vacation budget that considers all costs of a trip, such as meals and local transportation costs, is a good place to start.

    "[C]hoosing a destination that’s not only entertaining but also affordable is important when travel, dining, and activity costs have surged so much in recent years," Lupo says. "It can also allow you to have a longer, more relaxing trip."

    The study's scope isn't just limited to just Houston proper, which also means tourists may flock to suburbs like The Woodlands to explore its inviting new restaurants. It also includes Conroe, where tourists can relax with a drink in hand at the popular Margaritaville resort.

    Other top Texas summer travel destinations
    Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 5) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington were the only two Texas metros to earn spots in the top 10 summer travel destinations.

    Surprisingly, El Paso (No. 31) ranked four spots ahead of Houston. The final two Texas metros that earned spots in the study are Corpus Christi (No. 80) and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 97).

    The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2025 are:

    • No. 1 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
    • No. 2 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
    • No. 3 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
    • No. 4 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
    • No. 5 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
    • No. 6 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
    • No. 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
    • No. 8 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
    • No. 9 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
    • No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
    wallethubrankingssummer vacationtravelsan antonio
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