Frequently Asked Questions. Whatever you're wondering about the Jazz Festival, you can find the answer here. Lots of people have the same questions. That's why we've compiled this list of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), in the hopes that we can provide you with answers. What is Jazz Fest? When and where is it held? Is jazz the only music featured at the Jazz Festival? When is the performance schedule released? When do tickets go on sale? How can I purchase tickets? How much do tickets cost? How do I get to the Fair Grounds? What can you bring to the Fest? Festival policies & important information. Do you help Festival-goers in booking hotel rooms? Do you advise making a hotel reservation in advance? Is the Festival accessible to people with disabilities? Any tips on preparation for a day at Jazz Fest? Are there ATMs available if I run low on cash? What will be available in the food areas? What about vegetarian items? I can only attend one weekend. Which do you recommend? Are old Jazz Fest posters worth anything? Who do I contact about working / volunteering at Jazz Fest? How can I apply to perform at Jazz Fest? How can I apply for a crafts booth? How can I apply for a food booth? How can I apply for press credentials? How can my company become a Sponsor? . What is Jazz Fest? The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a/k/a Jazz Fest, is a 10-day cultural feast in which thousands of musicians, cooks and craftspeople welcome 400,000 visitors each year. The Louisiana Heritage Fair showcases unforgettable music on multiple stages, delicious Louisiana cuisine in two large food areas, and crafts artisans from the region and around the world demonstrating and selling their work. The Louisiana Heritage Fair is held at the Fair Grounds Race Course over the course of 2 weekends. They are April 24,25,26 & April 30, May 1,2,3, 2009. Back to top When and where is it held? April 24,25,26 & April 30, May 1,2,3, 2009. The Heritage Fair takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course, centrally located at 1751 Gentilly Boulevard, 10 minutes from the French Quarter. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Back to top Is jazz the only music featured at the Jazz Festival? 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, Cajun, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, country, bluegrass and everything in between. And of course there is lots of jazz, both contemporary and traditional. Back to top When is the performance schedule released? The complete list of musicians performing at the Jazz & Heritage Festival will be announced in the coming months. A more complete schedule in grid form, known as "the cubes," is available closer to the Festival, usually around the first week of April. This website will be one of the first places to view the entire schedule. Back to top When do tickets go on sale? Tickets go on sale after the talent has been announced. Visit our Tickets Page for more information. Back to top How can I purchase tickets? Daily tickets, Big Chief VIP tickets and Grand Marshal VIP Passes are available online at Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster Outlets and or by calling (504) 522-5555 or (800) 488-5252. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Jazz Fest ticket office located at The Louisiana Superdome. The Louisiana Superdome Box Office is located at 1500 Poydras Street, Gate A, Ground Level. The Louisiana Superdome Box Office is open Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 p.m.The New Orleans Arena Box Office is located at 1501 Girod St. A $2 per ticket service charge will apply to cash purchases. Method of payments accepted are: cash, Visa, MasterCard, & American Express. Back to top How much do tickets cost? TICKET PRICES 1st Weekend (April 24, 25, 26) Advance adult ticket: $40 through April 23 (each ticket valid for one day only) Gate Price: $50 Child's ticket: $5 (advance or gate, ages 2 - 11) 2nd Weekend (April 30, May 1, 2, 3) Advance adult ticket: $40 through April 29 (each ticket valid for one day only) Gate Price: $50 Child's ticket: $5 (advance or gate, ages 2 - 11) Ticket prices are subject to change. Big Chief VIP Experience information and pricing can be found by clicking here Grand Marshall VIP Pass information and pricing can be found by clicking here Back to top How do I get to the Fair Grounds? The Fair Grounds Race Course is located in a residential part of the city; parking in the surrounding neighborhoods is not recommended. Click here to read the updated 2008 Parking & Transportation Information. Gray Line Tours will operate continuous round-trip transportation – the Jazz Fest Express - from the Sheraton Hotel, the Gray Line Lighthouse at the Steamboat Natchez Wharf (Toulouse St. at the River – next to Jax Brewery), and Marconi Meadows (City Park) daily from 10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. A special entrance will be used only by Jazz Fest Express vehicles to avoid traffic and bring Festival-goers inside the gates of the Festival. Add $16 ($14 City Park) to the price of a Festival admission ticket for this round-trip transportation service. Admission and Jazz Fest Express tickets are available for sale on the days of the Festival from these locations or in advance through TicketMaster. A one way ticket from the Festival to downtown will be available for $10. For more information, call 504-569-1401 or 1-800-535-7786. http://www.graylineneworleans.com/jazzfest.html Back to top What can you bring to the Fest? Click here for a pdf of the 2007 list of prohibitions Back to top Do you help Festivalgoers in booking hotel rooms? The Festival has secured some special Jazz Fest Hotel rates which can be found here: • The Festival's official host hotel is the Sheraton New Orleans. For reservations call 504-595-5500 or 800-253-6156. • A useful travel resource is the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau. Contact the NOMCVB at 800-672-6124 or 504-566-5003. Website: www.neworleanscvb.com. Back to top Do you advise making a hotel reservation in advance? The Festival is very popular and there is a high demand for hotel rooms, so we advise making reservations as soon as possible. Some hotels take reservations as early as a year in advance, and many Fest-goers book their rooms in the fall preceding the Festival. Please be aware, however, that it is never too late to make a hotel reservation. Rooms become available off and on as reservations are released leading up to the event. A hotel may have no rooms available on March 30, but may have 10 rooms available April 15. Just keep checking. For a list of hotels visit our hotel page here Back to top . Is the Festival accessible to people with disabilities? For information about Festival attendance by people with disabilities. please either call (504) 558-7849, e-mail access@nojazzfest.com, or fax (504) 558-6132 For more information, please visit our ADA page. Back to top Any tips on preparation for a day at Jazz Fest - what to wear, things like that? The springtime weather in New Orleans can range from pleasantly warm to uncomfortably hot, so you'll want to dress in cool, unrestrictive clothing. Lightweight cotton is never a bad idea. There are a few shady trees scattered here and there throughout the Fair Grounds, but the infield is, for the most part, wide open to the sun. Therefore, most people consider sunglasses to be essential, not to mention sunscreen or sunblock. A hat with a wide brim or visor is also a good idea. Wear comfortable shoes, as you may be doing a lot of walking. You'll want to keep hydrated, too: there are beverages available throughout the Heritage Fair, and cold drinking water can be found in the Grandstand, which is also a good source of shade and air conditioning, not to mention many of the Festival's hidden treasures. Also, several stages on the infield and in Heritage Square are under tents that offer relief from the sun. Back to top Are there ATMs available if I run low on cash? Yes, there are ATMs onsite. For exact locations, please refer to the map. Back to top I hear they eat only crawfish and alligator in Louisiana. Is that all that will be available in the food areas? While those delicacies are available in various forms (and they're delicious), the food areas offer a wide range of items, from the familiar to the exotic: truly something for everyone. You won't go hungry. To get a better sense of what the Festival has to offer to satisfy your appetite, please see our food pages. Back to top What about vegetarian items? There are always a number of tasty vegan/vegetarian-friendly items on the menu as well. Back to top I can only attend for one weekend. Which do you recommend? You really can't go wrong with either. Great care is taken to distribute the music evenly over both weekends. Back to top I have an old Jazz Fest poster and I hear it may be worth something. How can I find out? The Festival's limited-edition posters are produced by Art4Now. Their website, http://www.art4now.com, includes information about the values of vintage posters. Back to top I'd like to work and/or volunteer for Jazz Fest. Who do I contact? New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Attn: Human Resources/Volunteers 336 Camp Street ste 250 New Orleans, LA 70130 504-410-4100 Jazz Fest Job Line: 504-410-6136 Click here for more information about becoming a volunteer for Jazz Fest. Back to top How can I apply to perform at the Jazz & Heritage Festival? Jazz Fest’s 2009 Application Guidelines for Musicians Announced The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell will accept press kit submissions for bands wishing to perform at the 2009 Festival between September 1 and November 1, 2008. The Festival respectfully limits applicants to bands living and working in Louisiana, and those bands who lived in Louisiana up until Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but have not yet been able to return home. The mission of the Festival is to preserve, perpetuate, and promote the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. All qualified applicants may submit their press kits between Sept. 1 and Nov. 1 to: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell Attn: Music Production 336 Camp Street, Suite 250 New Orleans, LA 70130 Be sure to include a recording, bio, photo, press clippings and contact information including e-mail address. We will contact all groups that have been accepted to perform at the 2009 Jazz & Heritage Festival once decisions have been made. E-mail us at musicprod@nojazzfest.com An online submission form is available by clicking here Back to top How can I apply for a crafts booth? Information on how to apply to the 2009 Crafts Fair will be available shortly. Applications will be accepted and processed online through ZAPPlication.org™. If you do not already have an account with ZAPPlication, please visit their webpage to establish an account prior to applying to the show, www.zapplication.org. To contact the crafts department: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Attn: Crafts Dept. 336 Camp Street ste 250 New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 410-4100 Back to top How can I apply for a food booth? Jazz Fest Food Vendor Inquiry Information For the past four decades the Food Fair at Jazz Fest has famously served some of the most delicious, restaurant quality, authentically prepared food to be found anywhere, let alone at a multi-day outdoor festival. Jazz Fest’s carefully developed menu encompasses traditional Creole and Cajun recipes, contemporary Creole innovations, New Orleans standards, and foods that reflect the rich influx of international influence in Louisiana. What started out with a small handful of food items has now grown into an [irresistible] menu featuring over 200 offerings, including many beloved dishes that have become a part of the Festival’s culture and, indeed, a part of the culinary culture of New Orleans. The food items are prepared by vendors who have, for the most part, been participating in the Food Fair for many years.  Festival food vendors have learned over the years to adapt to the challenges inherent to serving hundreds of thousands of Festival-goers over the course of seven days in an outdoor environment. It is a rigorous task given the fact that the food is prepared mostly by hand, with fresh local ingredients.  In any given Festival season there are very few openings for new vendors.  In most years, there are none.  On the rare occasion when there is an opening is it usually for a specific food item.  There is no formal application process, but the Festival is always interested in learning about experienced food vendors who are creating exciting new Louisiana food items or superior quality versions of classic regional dishes. If you feel your business model is compatible with the Festival criteria, you are welcome to fill out our Food Vendor Inquiry Contact Sheet (click here). Please keep in mind the following: All potential vendors must be full-time Louisiana residents. No self-contained vending structures or vehicles are permitted. No “carnival” food items or beverages will be considered. There is minimal, if any, duplication of food items. Food items must be prepared and served by the vendor and vendor is required to operate all Festival days. General liability, vehicle liability and worker’s compensation insurance are required.   The information on the Food Vendor Inquiry Contact Sheet will be added to the Festival’s Food Fair database.  This database is used for informational purposes only and does not obligate the Festival in any way. Thank you for your interest. Back to top I'm a journalist interested in covering the Festival. How can I apply for press credentials? If you have an assignment from a publication to cover the Jazz & Heritage Festival, please send the following as early as possible: 1.) Letter of assignment from your editor; 2.) A copy of the publication; 3.) The days you're planning to cover the Festival and your contact information. Send the above to: Matthew Goldman Press & Advertising Director New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 336 Camp Street, Suite 250 New Orleans, LA 70130 Back to top My company is interested in becoming a Sponsor. If you are interested in discussing Sponsorship opportunities for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival you can contact us at 504-410-4100, send an email to sponsorship@nojazzfest.com. or write to us: Sponsorship Department New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 336 Camp Street, Suite 250 New Orleans, LA 70130 Back to top