How to Meet People at the New Orleans Jazz Fest

Another way of putting that is: how to score at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. But the Jazz Fest isn’t all about getting lucky, it’s about, you know, talking to new people, hearing new music, and learning about new cultures.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A shower
• Courage
• A sense of humor
• Moderate dancing skills

1. 

   If you’re single, look for single people. Easy enough. Single women and men tend to travel in packs. Stay away from people with strollers, probably.

2. 

   Wait until later in the day, after the “social lubricant” has had a chance to take effect. There’s a lot of social lubricant being consumed. It’s part of the reason why the Jazz Fest is such a friendly place.

3. 

   Look for totem poles and large gatherings. Huge parties evolve at different points of the day—around a specific band, food tent, or other area. Keep an eye out for raging parties.

4. 

   Talk to strangers. In your daily life, you might not do this so much. At the Jazz Fest, it’s a given. Ask people about good music, good food, good crafts, good corners of the Fest to check out. Especially important if this is your first time to the Jazz Fest.

Tips & Warnings

• If you lose someone in your party, make sure to have a common meeting place set up beforehand. Having a couple of cellphones on hand is helpful.
• There are a huge number of things to talk about at the Jazz Fest—a song, a band, where someone’s from, ask someone to dance….Don’t be shy.
• The Jazz Fest goes on well after the actual festival is over. It pours out into New Orleans after 7 p.m. If you really play your cards right, you could hang out with someone till sun-up. Make a brief encounter last.
• Make sure that single person is single before you make a move.