Jazz Fest at the Fairgrounds-
The Racetrack and the Festival Have an Enduring Relationship
By Jordan ShayPersevering through more than 150 years of history, the Fairgrounds has endured changes in ownership, war, flood, fires, and encroaching real estate expansion. And for seven remarkable days this spring, the site will host one of New Orleans’ most important cultural events – the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
The first Jazz Fest which took place in the late 1960s, was not an immediate commercial success. Those who had been in attendance still talk about the event with a justified reverie, due to the legendary musicians who performed (Mahalia Jackson, Pete Fountain, Duke Ellington, Fats Domino, and the Meters, among others), but it is widely known that the performers actually outnumbered the audience members at the inaugural festival. Over time, what has allowed Jazz Fest to expand into New Orleans’ top tourist attraction, second only to Mardi Gras, was the move from Congo Square and Louis Armstrong Park to Mid-City and the Fairgrounds.
The historic racetrack is the only racetrack in the South to survive the Civil War. In fact, the track is the third oldest horseracing oval in the country. It brought a different cultural flavor to New Orleans when it began operating in 1852, when wealthy plantation owners, gamblers, politicians, merchants and professionals all became regular patrons of the track. During the Civil war, different promoters, including the infamous Mississippi riverboat gambler George Devol, leased the Fairgrounds and held different events and games there, such as boxing, baseball, and even bull and bear fights. Over the course of the next 150 years in the racecourse’s storied history, the grandstand burned down and was rebuilt in 1919, the property was sold to real estate developers and narrowly escaped being turned into a subdivision in 1942, and the grandstand burned to the ground again in 1993. And from 1970 to the present, the Fairgrounds continues to help the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation in shining a national spotlight on New Orleans and the city’s musicians.
According to the festival’s promoters, this year’s lineup is possibly the “deepest overall mix” of different types of music. With the return of the lost Thursday, bringing Jazz Fest back to its previous seven-day format, this year promises to have an incredible economic impact on the city of New Orleans; it is estimated to bring in more than $300 million for the state of Louisiana. Nearly 650,000 people are expected to attend the festival over the course of those seven days.
The goals of the Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation, as listed on the website, are “to promote Louisiana’s music and culture through numerous cultural, educational and economic development activities.” Jazz fest producer and director Quint Davis claims that they want to bring a year’s worth of music together in one week and the festival’s continued partnership with the Fairgrounds has enabled both to continue to grow.