Satchmo SummerFest

Satchmo SummerFest

Early August

The Satchmo SummerFest is a celebration of the music and legacy of jazz musician Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, who was born in New Orleans, La., on August 4, 1901. The four-day weekend festival takes place in early August in the city's French quarter. It started in 2001 as a commemoration of the centenary of the beloved performer's birth, and was such a success that it was adopted as an annual event by French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
At the center of the festival is jazz music performed on three stages devoted, respectively, to traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, and brass bands. Participants also honor Armstrong with an annual exhibit of art on a Satchmo theme, with awards for outstanding entries. There are speakers' seminars on the history of music, jazz exhibits, a children's stage, and a jazz-themed Catholic mass. Also featured is a "Satchmo Strut" through New Orleans' live music district, and plenty of New-Orleans-style food, including a red-beans-and-rice luncheon.

CONTACTS:
French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
400 N. Peters St., Ste. 205
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-522-5730 or 800-673-5725; fax: 504-522-5711
www.fqfi.org

SOURCES:
AAH-2007, p. 393