It was in Congo Square that enslaved African people gathered on Sunday afternoons to practice their ancestral traditions. Their legacy lives on in our Congo Square Rhythms Festival, a free event that celebrates the music, food, and dance of our forebears, creating an event that is fun for the whole family.

ABOUT

Brass bands, Mardi Gras Indians, New Orleans funk and African dance – they’re all part of the mix at the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation.

ARTS MARKET

As always, we will feature a large Arts Market with local artists showcasing handmade fine art and home furnishings. Applications are now open for the art market vendors.

FOOD VENDORS

We’ll have a host of great food vendors - offering a mix of classic New Orleans dishes and food from the Caribbean.

Schedule:

March 22, 2024

Festival Kickoff Concert with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center

Joseph “Monk” Boudreaux is the oldest living Mardi Gras Indian Chief, the Elder of Elders in a tradition dating back to the 1800s. As such, he sees himself as the guardian of a spiritual discipline that involves gnostic customs and beliefs shared by members within the New Orleans Black community over the course of multiple generations. He is one of the best-known and loved local culture heroes, ?a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Award? recipient, ?the subject of murals on city walls and documentaries about New Orleans, and the inspiration for characters in television dramas like the HBO series Treme. He comes by his status as a Mardi Gras Indian chief through bloodlines of both African and Native American ancestry?.

Location:

The George and Joyce Wein Jazz And Heritage Center -

1225 N Rampart St

New Orleans, LA 70116

Cost: $10

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March 23, 2024

Congo Square Rhythms Stage

10:45 am - 11:45 pm Drum Circle

11:45 pm - 12:30 pm Claude Bryant & the Reggae Allstars

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm Alfred Banks with special guest Kaye the Beast

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm Alexey Marti with special guest YUSA

3:30 pm - 4:45 pm Max Moran & Neospectric

5:00 pm - 6:15 pm Tribal Gold

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm The Rumble

Brass Band Stage

11:00 am - 12:15 pm Red Hot Brass Band

12:30 pm - 1:45 pm Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Class Got Brass presented by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm Class Got Brass presented by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm  Tremé Brass Band

5:45 pm - 7:00 pm Rebirth Brass Band

March 24, 2024

Congo Square Rhythms Stage

10:45 am - 11:45 pm Drum Circle

12:00 pm - 12:20 pm Tekrema Dance Ensemble

12:30 pm - 12:50 pm Kumbuka Dance Ensemble

1:00 pm - 1:20 pm N’Kafu n Culu

1:30 pm - 1:50 pm N’Fungola Sibo

1:55 pm - 2:20 pm Free Spirit Walkers                          

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Bamboula 2000

3:45 pm - 4:30 pm  Mardi Gras Indian Battle

4:45 pm - 6:15 pm Corey Henry & Treme Funktet

Brass Band Stage

11:00 am - 12:15 pm Sporty’s Brass Band

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm The Bra’s Brass Band

2:15 pm - 3:30 pm LeTrainiump

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm Free Agents Brass Band

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Hot 8 Brass Band

6:15 pm - 7:30 pm The Original Pinettes Brass Band

Date: March 22 - 24, 2024

Time:

Saturday - 10:45am - 7:00pm

Sunday - 10:45am - 7:30pm

Location:

 Louis Armstrong Park -

701 North Rampart Street

New Orleans, LA 70116

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