PENSACOLA JAZZ FESTIVAL (Pensacola, FL) – April 6-7
Now in its 36th year, this free festival is staged April 6 and 7, at the historic Seville Square Gazebo in downtown Pensacola, in Florida’s western panhandle. Nicknamed “The City of Five Flags,” Pensacola is a seaport city located on Pensacola Bay protected by the barrier island of Santa Rosa. This year headliners include Bob Sheppard, Jones and Company, Soul Station, John Cochran and Bodhi Trio, Cartoon, Michael J. Thomas, Nobius, Village Brass Band, Curt Bol Band, Rebecca Barry & George Petropoulos, The Guffman Trio, and Cynthia Domulot & The Dharma Beats. Admission is free; jazzpensacola.com; (850) 433-8382.
FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL (New Orleans, LA) – April 11-14
Started as a neighborhood gathering more than three decades ago, the French Quarter Festival has since grown into “The World’s Largest Block Party” where visitors join locals to enjoy the best of Louisiana music, food and culture, all for free. Featuring more than 800 musicians on 20 stages, more than five dozen food-and-beverage vendors (all dishes are priced in the $3-$5 range), kid-friendly attractions, free tours of hidden French Quarter patios and gardens, a Pirate’s Alley art show, the world’s largest praline, and fireworks exploding over the Mississippi River.
The 35th annual French Quarter Festival will be staged over a half doz
