City Park’s Festival Grounds

We were here for the beer festival. Good music. It was really crowded, but there was still plenty of grassy spots to set yourself down and listen to the music. I can’t imagine having a bad time at City Park. Unless you’re being dumped. In which case, it wouldn’t matter if you were on the Eiffel Tower or Gardens of Babylon. With that in mind, here’s a few observations from yours truly.
#1. Unless you get shot, there’s no such thing as a bad festival
#2. Don’t wear any shoe with a heel height of greater than 2″. Don’t wear ANY shoe classified as a heel. That includes chunky heels. Yeah… I’m talking to you.
#3. The grounds are BIG. And confusing. Take a pic or use a specific point to find your way out. After dark, there is very little lighting.
#4. Bring hand sanitizer.
#5. Bring a blanket. When in doubt, always bring a blanket.
#6. There are no permanent facilities for the public, not that I found, but portolets abounded.
I enjoyed the set up and will definitely attend future events here.

This is a great space for festivals, but the city is going to have to come up with better solutions for transportation in and out of the area.
During VooDoo Fest, the grounds were perfect for allowing lots of space between stages with different areas for vendor and porti-​pottys. It’s a beautiful part of New Orleans that many tourists would not see if the were just visiting for debauchery on Bourbon.
I could see how the area could be a total mess during a rainy weekend, but we were lucky to have good weather. The biggest issue is transit to and from the area, along with acceptable parking. New Orleans city transit is one of the poorest I’ve seen and until that is rectified it will be a feat for out-​of-​towners to traverse the mess to City Park.

When City Park built out these Festival Grounds, I hip hip hoorayed! Many festivals that were using Woldenberg Park or Louis Armstrong Park found a new home on this expanse of green space. Parking is easier, the City Park Pavilion is quaint, the track around is clean, and it’s so close to where I live that many a time, I’ve walked over! I don’t doubt that some of the festivals contending with the new rules on the bayou may be eyeing the space too.
My only qualms is when it rains really bad, you best be rockin’ ‘dem rain boots because the grounds do flood in some spots. There is also a very wide expanse of no shade, so bring an umbrella or try and stake out a spot under the trees.
I definitely suggest hitting up any festival that’s out here!