Festival season in New Orleans is almost here and city spokesperson Beau Tidwell says they will have to evaluate how to safely host so many festivals announced for the fall.
With barely four months to go before the planned dates for French Quarter Fest, New Orleans officials today say they are hoping to make it happen. Tidwell stressed, however, there are big challenges when it comes to having enough police officers available for each event.
“Jazz Fest alone requires 728 officers on a normal year, a Saints game requires 180 officers, French Quarter Fest requires 739 officers, all that being said; we have just over eleven hundred officers on the force in total,” said Tidwell. “There will come a point, likely in the summer, that we announce a full and firm cut-off period for any additional events going forward.”
French Quarter Fest is currently schedule for September 30th to October 3rd.
Jazz Fest is hoping to run October 8th through the 10th and October 15th through the 17th
VooDoo Fest wants to go October 29th through the 31st.