Jazz Fest

We left for New Orleans around 4PM, immediately after Eli got off of a bus returning from a school mission-prep trip. That landed us at our AirBNB just after midnight. While the kids did get some sleep in the car, that made for a late night for us all. But our clockwork girl woke us up at 7, ready to go.

Since it was May 4th, the little cafe we walked to for breakfast was serving Star Wars themed doughnuts. Well, not so much doughnuts as huge pastries that were filled with all kinds of things. (To eat one by yourself would be a mistake.) From there we loaded up the car and headed to Fest for Day 1. Our friends, the Overlys and the Hambricks, were joining us from Atlanta as well, but sans kids. We agreed to set up base camp at one of the bigger stages each day so that we all had a place to come back together for the closing set. On this day, we set up at the largest stage so we could catch Jason Isbell and Beck. The kids really really liked Beck. They were familiar with his latest album, but the older stuff stirred up an interest in Eli.

We haven't stayed until the very end in a while, mainly in the name of getting the kids some dinner and rest before the next day, but Beck's set went until 7, so until 7 we stayed. Then we leisurely made our way to our car (about a mile away), stopping through the neighborhoods to listen to and dance with street performers. This is easily one of our favorite parts of Jazz Fest. By the time we made it back to the Pilot, it was dark and there were only two cars in the entire lot.

Day two started similarly, but with beignets instead of doughnuts. Today's 'big' show was The Revivalists, so we set up at a different stage, prepared to rock out from a safe distance. (Holding the rail all day for a front row spot is a little harder with kids, and it makes it hard to enjoy the rest of Fest!) Maddux and Eli consumed so many favorites, from crayfish beignets (Maddux's go-to) to red beans and rice (my and Eli's favorite), from mango freeze to snowcones...the food flowed freely. This year was the first time we let the kids occasionally go (together) alone to buy food while we stayed at our base camp. I'm still not sure how I feel about that (them growing up and the safety factor).

We had a few moments of rain, so the five of us took that opportunity to visit the Economy Hall tent where there is a dance floor. While Lehr and the girls were dancing, a fest regular approached them and asked to dance with Ruby. She declined, but Maddux accepted and an impromptu lesson followed. She had a great time being twirled around the dance floor by someone who knew what they were doing!

All nine of us made our way back to base camp for the act just before The Revivalists to make sure we were in place. It's a good thing too because that stage's lawn is smaller and it was MOBBED. So much that even the 'moving' areas of walkways inched along slower than Snowmaggedon traffic in Atlanta. Once the music started for the Rev set, we all settled in. But maybe two songs in, we got very distracted by some swarming in the sky just to our left. It was maybe 30 yards away and appeared to maybe be termites (they are big and active right now in NOLA). But then some started flying over our heads, leaving the swarm, and we realized they were too big to be termites. Sure enough, they were bees. No one appeared to get stung, but somehow their home was disrupted (we never saw a hive) and they were all abuzz. By the end of the Rev set, medical staff was around the area (just in case), and the bees seemed to have dissipated. But when I walked over to look at the area they were, I saw that the bees were still there, but congregated on the underside of a chair. Apparently the queen decided that was their new home, so they all followed her. It was the craziest thing we'd ever seen!

Bee drama over, we started the final set of Cage the Elephant (my favorite of the weekend, probably!). Maddux hula hooped the entire day, I think, using the break apart hoop we bought for her birthday many many years ago. At the time we had no idea we were raising a fest-kid! Day two found us closing the fairgrounds down again, and dancing in the streets again. Every time we would stand and watch street brass bands, Ruby would get in front and dance and make her general 'horn' imitation. And every time, one of the band members would walk over to her to let her see/touch their horn. And every time, she would try to grab it and run. After a few bands, we stopped by a friend's house for a quick birthday celebration before heading back to our car. Only in New Orleans do you swing through for a piece of birthday cake for a child at 8PM, and get served dinner in the process, just because.

Day three was back at the big stage for Jack White and Trombone Shorty later in the afternoon. We set up camp and then ran to the opposite side of the fairgrounds to catch Flow Tribe opening. Ruby loved that, especially when they played her song. She was sitting in the BOB, but when she heard the opening notes, her eyes got big, she got out of the stroller, and she bolted to the front lines. (It was so early in the day that it was easy enough for Lehr to catch up with her, thankfully!)

At one point I took the girls to the kids' tent, mainly to get a break from the sun. There was a Chinese dragon dance troupe on stage. Ruby loved them, standing up front and mimicking their jumping (she called them 'puppies'). But at one point they came off of the stage and into the crowd, and when they approached her, she freaked out. Apparently large colorful dragons/lions are frightening?

Eli pushed his way to the rail for Jack White, and I think he videoed the whole show. He loved being so close to one of his favorite musicians...he had a great view of all of his guitars and how he played each one. Trombone Shorty followed and closed down Jazz Fest for the year. We spent a lot of time hula hooping (Eli and Maddux are AMAZING, but the rest of us are not) and blowing bubbles. Once again, we are raising fest-kids, obviously! Our Atlanta friends packed up their car and drove home, and we slow played it back to our car. Once again, New Orleans treated us right.