French Quarter Fest to provide free entertainment

The free French Quarter Festival (FQF), the world’s largest showcase of Louisiana music, food and culture, will be presented April 21-24, bringing 1,800 local musicians and restaurant debuts and new nighttime programming.

The Clarion Herald is one of the annual event’s sponsors.

The French Quarter Festival Kickoff Parade will be held April 21 at 10 a.m., beginning in the 200 block of Bourbon Street and ending at Jackson Square.

There will be more than 270 performances from a variety of genres across 20 stages. Over the four days, the riverfront Abita Beer Stage will host headliners Tank and the Bangas, Rickie Lee Jones, The Soul Rebels and Walter "Wolfman" Washington and the Roadmasters.

► The Chevron Stage, now located in Jax Lot, will be a Cajun/Zydeco destination.  The Chevron Evening Concert Series returns with Irma Thomas, Water Seed, Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters and free dance lessons.

► The GE Stage, with a new location in Jackson Square, will host Jeremy Davenport, Shannon Powell, Robin Barnes and James Andrews. Artists on the Jack Daniel’s Stage in Canal Plaza include debuts by Loose Cattle and the Lilli Lewis Project, as well as Erica Falls, and the Jamal Batiste Band.

► At the Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage, the lineup includes Deacon John and the Ivories with special guests Hot Rod Lincoln, the Vegas Cola Band, Alexey Marti and a Sunday morning Gospel performance from debut Zulu Gospel Choir.

► At the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, nearly a dozen brass bands will be featured Friday-Sunday on the Louisiana Fish Fry Stage, and the WWL-TV Esplanade in the Shade Stage brings three days of music from crowd favorites like Tin Men and Sarah Quintana. On the weekend, the Pan-American Life Insurance Group Stage will host a fusion of Latin beats, World Music and Jazz. Ernie’s Schoolhouse Stage at the Homer A. Plessy Community School brings youth from across the city to perform, including the NOCCA Jazz Ensemble and the John F. Kennedy Senior High School-JDrum Section.

► French Quarter Fest After Dark is a curated series of performances and pop-up events, some of which are free: April 21, George Porter Jr. Trio at Double Dealer, free,  9 p.m.-midnight; April 22, Cha Wa at Three Keys at the ACE Hotel, $40 at the door, 9 p.m.-midnight; April 23, Cyril Neville at Hotel Saint Vincent, $50 in advance, 9 p.m.-midnight; April 24, Holly Rock at Midnight Revival at the Frenchmen Hotel, $10, 8-11 p.m.

► Chevron Children’s “STEM Carnival” will be held on the weekend with fun, interactive activities in science, technology, engineering and math at the Natchez Wharf (Toulouse Street and the river) from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Go to www.fqfi.org for complete event information.