Don't forget the floppy

A better guide to New Orleans' JazzFest: A virgin reflects on what she'd dodifferently

JazzFest isn't for the faint of heart.
Photo by Kerry Maloney/The Times-Picayune
Don't camp yourself in one of these all day. Walk around.
I recommend the crawfish bread, the Monica and the snowballs, but you reallycan't go wrong.

New to New Orleans' JazzFest? I was a JazzFest virgin when I made the trek last weekend, and although I had a blast (thanks, Amos Lee) there are a few things I'd do differently, if given the chance. Take these tips from the road-weary with the second weekend of the festival starting Thursday:

Getting there

Cabs out to JazzFest are expensive. If you, like me, are opting to road trip it and will have a car, it's cheaper to park a few blocks away. (We paid $20 split four ways for each day of the fest.) Most nearby residents are selling space in their lots and hanging out all day selling water and beer to passersby, so your car should be looked after.

If you plan on hitting Bourbon Street or any of the French Quarter bars after the fest, take the trolley. It's tres adorable (with wooden chairs and big working windows) and super cheap. It's $1.25 each way and runs until after 2 a.m., although the wait between streetcars gets longer as the night wears on.

What to bring

Closed-toe shoes! Gladiator sandals may look great with your fedora, but the fairgrounds are dusty and real shoes work best. Speaking of hats, invest in a floppy. Best decision I made all weekend.

Beers start at $5 a pop inside the festival gates, and there's no discount for buying en masse. (That means a case of Coors is a whopping $120). Luckily, security is light and bag checks are performed by volunteers. Each attendee can bring in two sealed water bottles, and we learned from a neighboring blanket that a smartwater bottle filled with your favorite alternative fits perfectly between the legs of a collapsed lawn chair, which aren't checked.

JazzFest has a tradition of longtime festival goers planting flags in the ground or attached to their chairs to mark their spots. People get clever, putting their wit on display and dangling various accessories. Make your own so your friends can find you!

Where to stay

With a friend if you have one; hotels are outrageous. But seriously, I would check out CraigsList or ForRentByOwner. My group of four found a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment just off St. Charles in the Garden District that we rented for just $300 total for two nights. Split four ways, that was the best deal in town.

What to do

Walk around the fest. It's easy to get stuck at one stage all day, but try to meander around between sets. It's a massive venue and you're liable to love someone you didn't even come to see. Make sure to see at least one zydeco set — even the most reluctant dancers get down.

EAT EVERYTHING. You're in NOLA for goodness sakes, and the festival food is to die. I recommend the crawfish bread, the Monica and the sno balls, but you really can't go wrong.

Download the app. This a daytime festival, and bands don't play late into the night. Know the lineup so you don't miss anyone by keeping the mobile guide handy.

When it comes to going out, Bourbon Street is great for taking in the scene, but try to hit some local spots. We hit Magazine Street the first night, and loved Joey K's, the aptly named Balcony Bar and Grit's Bar for dancing.

Are you a JazzFest veteran with tips to share? Tell us in comments!

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REVIVING THE ALAMO

Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership

Photo by Gower Brown/ Unsplash

A 90-pound cannon used in the Battle of the Alamo is returning to its San Antonio home.

It turns out the Alamo's original 1836 cannons are good for more than just defense — they also make a sturdy birdbath. After serving as a garden ornament for Samuel Maverick’s descendants, an authentic piece of San Antonio history is finally returning home to the revered mission.

According to an Alamo announcement, the swivel cannon weighs 90 pounds and is approximately three feet long. The relic was originally found in 1852 when Maverick built a home near the northwest corner of the battle’s site.

The lawyer and land baron was saved from death when he was urged by William Barret Travis to ride to the Texas Declaration of Independence convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos to send reinforcements. Returning to the Alamo’s grounds, he found a cache of cannons buried where the Hotel Gibbs sits today.

From there, the cannon wound up at the Maverick family’s Sunshine Ranch on the Northwest Side, where it was eventually incorporated into the garden DIY project. In 1955, the cannon was removed from the ranch, and the current location remained a mystery until the Alamo received a call from a Maverick relative in Corpus Christi.

Alamo cannon This Alamo artifact gives an idea of what the cannon will look like once restoration is complete.Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

“The relative graciously donated the cannon to the Alamo,” wrote a rep from the mission. “Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham and Head Conservator Pam Jary Rosser drove down the very next day to take this piece of history home to the Alamo.”

Although the artillery is mostly intact, it is missing its trunnions (the pivot-point protrusions on the sides of the barrel) and cascabel (the knob and neck assembly at the rear of historic muzzle-loading cannons). The parts were removed by the Mexican army to make the cannon inoperable.

Once preservation is complete, this cannon and the Alamo Collection’s other battle cannons will make their way to the upcoming Visitor Center and Museum, where they will be joined by rocker Phil Collins' collection of Alamo artifacts. The Alamo is in the midst of a $550 million preservation project, which includes conserving the Alamo Church, Long Barrack, and the mission’s original footprint. The museum is on track to debut in late 2027.

history museums artifacts texas history the alamo