Overview
According to the official Jazz Fest website, "The Festival celebrates the indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana, so the music encompasses every style associated with the city and the state: blues, R&B, gospel music, Cajun music, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk music, Latin, rock, rap music, country music, bluegrass and everything in between. And of course there is lots of jazz, both contemporary and traditional."
Jazz Fest is currently held during the day, between the hours of 11am and 7pm, at the Fair Grounds Race Course, a horse racing track located in historic Mid-City. Each year, it is held on the last weekend of April (Friday-Sunday) and the first weekend of May (Thursday-Sunday). For two years following Hurricane Katrina, the second weekend was Friday through Sunday only, but the Thursday was restored in 2008.
Even more music events than usual take place around the city during Jazz Fest weekends and also throughout the week in between. The Festival is a major tourism destination, with an importance for New Orleans rivaled only by Mardi Gras. The event earns the local economy $300 million annually.
Early Jazz Fests featured almost exclusively local acts; as the Festival's popularity grew, the event expanded to include more nationally known acts.
Read more about this topic: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival