Week 2 of Jazz Fest is under way, and Locals' Day is attracting fans of the festival, young and old. People lined up outside the gate several hours before they opened at 11 a.m.
For some, the day is truly a family affair.
"To me, everyday is like Mardi Gras," Susan Bradley said. "To us, it's family and friends. That's what it's about--the music and the food."
Susan and her sister-in-law Marcie Bradley have been coming to Jazz Fest for decades.
"My first year was 1977, and I was pregnant with my daughter," Susan said, adding that she's looking forward to Santana's performance later in the evening.
Meanwhile, Marcie says she's looking forward to the local acts on the Thursday bill.
"I'm looking forward to Ronnie Lamarque," Marcie said gleefully.
They summed up the Jazz Fest experience with a simple motto, one that Susan created during her first festival 46 years ago: "Blessed at the Fest."
Vendors from all parts of Louisiana also were at the Fairgrounds early Thursday morning. They were getting set up ahead of the rush of festival patrons at the racetrack.
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Accordion-maker Clarence Martin, Jr., drove to New Orleans from Scott for the festival. It's a pilgrimage that he anticipates every year. Martin said he's ready to step back from his work and hand his duties to his daughter, but he says the atmosphere of Jazz Fest keeps pulling him back to the Fairgrounds year after year.
"It's been a long time. It's been a total of about 25 years," Martin said. "What's wonderful is that we've made so many good friends out here," Martin said.
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Guitar repairman Calvin Ardoin, who came from Opelousas, echoed Martin's sentiments.
"It's just the atmosphere, you know," Ardoin said. "This is Jazz Fest! It's all about the weather. If the weather is great, everybody's going to have a great time. If the weather's not great, you're still at Jazz Fest. That's my attitude."
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New Orleans artist Julie Connelly had a hard time picking just one favorite part of Jazz Fest.
"I think all the people," Connelly said. "I love sitting here at the booth and people watcing and then having people from all over the world come in and talk to me about the art."
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For most of the vendors, their work is a labor of love.
Cecelia Pedescleaux is a perfect example. Pedescleaux, of Marrero, has been quilting for nearly 60 years and has been displaying her work at Jazz Fest for 20 years.
"This is made by hand in Louisiana and with Louisiana culture," Pedescleaux said of her work. "I'm not a traditional quilter as you can see. I kinda use everything."
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Pedescleaux said quilting is how she plays. It's also how she passes on a piece of Louisiana tradition.
"We have the people who do the Mardi Gras Indians and the beading," Pedescleaux said. "We even have the Muses--what's typically Louisiana. And quilting in Louisiana is a large thing."
She says by setting up shop at Jazz Fest, she's been able to share her knowledge as well as pick up a few new tricks.
"I get to meet a lot of people," Pedescleaux said. "So far, I've had three quilters in here this morning, and so we get to talk about different techniques (and) what they have."
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Ian Auzenne/WWL
There are a number of new food vendors this year with jerk chicken sausage, shrimp and grits, grilled shrimp, and barbecued oysters new to the offerings.
For the first time, the fest is cashless, but if you want to leave your credit or debit card home, fest producer Quint Davis says they can accommodate.
