How to Pack for the New Orleans Jazz Fest

They say about southern weather: don’t like it? Wait five minutes. Makes packing for a trip hard. At the New Orleans Jazz Fest you’re bound to see a lot of skin—men go shirtless and the women are told not to. The New Orleans Jazz Fest is something like a cross between a music festival and Mardi Gras: i.e. it can get crazy. You may take off your clothes, but you’ve got to pack something to begin with.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clothes
• Sunscreen
• Good shoes
• Baby wipes
• Hangover remedy

1. Pack warm weather clothes: shorts, tank-tops, skirts, cotton clothing.
2. On that front: bring plenty of sunscreen. They say the most common problems at the New Orleans Jazz Fest are a sunburn and a hangover. If you keep on drinking, you might just forget the sun’s pounding down on the back of your neck. Don’t let an overcast sky fool you either.
3. Bring cool weather clothing. Louisiana weather can be unpredictable. As the day goes on, it can get cool. The fest goes until 7 p.m. Bring a light raincoat, just in case.
4. Bring a good pair of walking shoes. You’re going to be trekking from show to show and back again. 500 bands are playing both weekends: Van Morrison, George Thorogood, Taj Mahal, Branford Marsalis, and more. Past acts have been Sting, the Doobie Brothers, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Jimmy Buffet. You don’t want to miss anything and you don’t want your feet to wear out.
5. Bring pre-moistened wipes. The best way to clean off (for whatever reason). You’re going to need it.
6. Bring Tylenol or aspirin: for the hangover.

Tips & Warnings

• Baby strollers are allowed. But other big items, like ice chests, are not.
• Check out the local papers the week of the show for festival schedule and maps of the area. It’s a good idea to always keep the map on hand.
• Never leave your stuff unattended.