Kermit Ruffins during Jazz Centennial Celebration Presents: Satchmo Summerfest 2006 - Day 3 at French Market in New Orleans, Lousiana, United States. (Photo by Skip Bolen/WireImage)

Satchmo Summerfest: Where to park, pee, what to pack

The three-day festival features more than 30 acts and food vendors.

by Mary Staes | July 30, 2019

It’s almost time for the kids to head back to school, and the traffic to get more hectic by the day. Summer is coming to a close, but as always, there’s a fest for that.

Satchmo Summerfest began in 2001 as a way to celebrate Louis Armstrong’s 100th birthday, but now it’s grown into a three-day festival (Aug. 2 – 4) featuring more than 30 acts and food vendors. The fest also includes local traditions like a Jazz Mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church in the Treme, followed by a second line from the church to the festival.

First time going? Here’s what you need to know:

Where to park

(Photo by Skip Bolen/WireImage)

The fest takes place at the Old U.S. Mint, at the end of Esplanade Avenue. You can find paid parking at a lot on nearby Elysian Fields Avenue and walk two blocks across Frenchman Street to get to the Mint.

Organizers also suggest parking in the paid lot along the riverfront. The entrance to get in is near Jax Brewery, and if you walk to the end of the lot, it will bring you right to the Mint.

If you come early enough, you may be able to find street parking on Esplanade, Rampart, or Elysian Fields, or even the Bywater if you’re willing to walk a bit.

You can also use one of the Blue Bikes, and the fest offers a free $5 code for new riders. Click here for more information.

What to pack

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The entrance fee to get in is $6, so you’ll want to bring at least that in cash. Children 12 and under are free. If you’re looking to listen to music at one of the two stages, you’ll want to bring a festival chair. One of the stages is outside, and the other is on the second floor of the Jazz Museum at the Mint.

This fest doesn’t allow coolers, ice chests, glass bottles, or outside food or drink. And as much as we love them please leave your furry friends at home.

This fest is also family-friendly, featuring a special Pops’ Playhouse for Kids in the Jazz Museum. Activities on Saturday and Sunday include Zulu coconut decorating, second line umbrella decorating, sewing classes and drum making classes, just to make a few.

Where to pee

There are port-o-lets on Barracks Street, near the ticket area and entrance of the fest, as well as additional bathrooms on the first and second floors of the Jazz Museum.

Want to find out more about the food or musical acts at the fest? Trying to plan our your schedule? Click here for more on the Satchmo Summerfest.

New Orleans Jazz Museum
Getting there
400 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
Hours
Mon Closed
Tue-Sun 9 AM – 4 PM

Stream original series on the Very Local app

What is Very Local?

Very Local is your best source for shows about local communities, bringing you 24/7 access to news from your trusted local news source, weather updates, and more. The Very Local app also brings you fresh, untold stories from your city and communities like yours, with exclusive original shows and local stories specific to where you live. Get the channel to stream Very Local free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

Follow Very Local on Facebook and @VeryLocal on Instagram for more

Mary Staes

Mary Staes

Mary Staes is Digital Content Lead for Very Local. She works with our freelancers and crafts content for our social media platforms and website. Before Very Local, she worked with CBS affiliate WWL-TV as a web producer and weekend assignment editor for about 4 years. She has also handled broadcast coverage for 160 Marine Reserve training facilities while she served as an active duty Marine. As a native New Orleanian, she takes being "very local" to heart. She loves being intertwined with the culture and figuring out how there are less than two degrees of separation between us all, whether we're natives or not.

Download the Very Local app to stream all of the Very Local original series for FREE!

Download the Very Local app to stream all of the Very Local original series for FREE!