It was in Congo Square that enslaved African people gathered on Sunday afternoons to practice their ancestral traditions. Their legacy lives on in our Tremé Creole Gumbo / Congo Square Rhythms Festivals, a free weekend celebration showcasing the music, food, and dance that made this city known around the world. This combined festival event will be fun for the entire family.

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About

We’ve combined two of our favorite festivals into one! The Tremé Creole Gumbo and Congo Square Rhythms festivals sit on the outskirts of the French Quarter in Tremé, celebrating the neighborhood as a key proving ground in the birthplace of jazz! This year, we’re kicking the weekend off with James Andrews & the Crescent City Allstars in concert at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. The will be live-streamed for free on Friday, March 24 at 8pm CT on jazzandheritage.org/live

Free Admission – Donations Accepted 

Admission to the Tremé Creole Gumbo / Congo Square Rhythms Festival is free. But we will have donation boxes set up at most of the park entrances. If you want to help us keep our events free, please support us with the donation of your choice. Thank you. 

Arts Market 

As always, we will feature two Art Markets, with dozens of local artists showcasing beautiful hand-made artworks and crafts.  More than two dozen vendors will be present, offering fine art, photography, jewelry, clothing, and housewares.

Food Vendors 

If you love dark roux chicken and sausage gumbo, Creole filé gumbo, seafood gumbo, and all sorts of other great stuff – from po-boys to shrimp ’n’ grits – then come hungry.  

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Kids tent

The 2023 Treme Creole Gumbo and Congo Square Rhythms Festival will also feature a Kid’s Tent where our youngest fest-goers can get creative from 12 pm to 6 pm with free activities! 

Amazing Tambourines

Whole Village Art Therapy will support participants in creating a unique instrument that highlights what is amazing about themselves. This expressive tambourine will reflect their own personal style and creativity while also giving them a chance to join in the dancing and music making. Everyone is welcome to participate and create!

About Whole Village Art Therapy

Whole Village Art Therapy, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides high quality, community based art therapy services to improve access and reduce systemic barriers to mental health services in New Orleans. Our team of art therapists provide free individual and group art therapy, school based art therapy services, counseling, community art making, and professional development. We also partner with 45 different organizations in and around New Orleans to provide supports in a variety of different ways. www.wholevillageart.org

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Build and Play

The Blocks are Back!  PlayBuild’s over-sized Imagination Playground “Big Blue Blocks” are fun for kids of all ages.  Kids parents, groups of friends, everyone can join the fun, building and playing together.

About Playbuild NolaFounded in 2012 PlayBuild’s mission is to transform urban spaces into dynamic play and learning environments to empower kids to design their futures.  A 501c3 non-profit, we operate from our home base in Central City, providing hands-on creative play activities to aspiring architects and city builders.  Find us online at www.playbuild.org

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Making Dreamcatchers

New Orleans local and creative Michele Mazique will guide participants through creating their very own dream catchers!

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ADA Accessibility

For guests who use need ADA accommodations, the festival will have a number of options:

There will be wheelchair drop-off areas on Rampart Street (at the St. Ann Street Gate) and also in the parking lot near the Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts (enter via the Basin Street Gate).

Wheelchair-accessible toilets will be kept locked for your comfort. To obtain the combination for the locks, please visit any of our information booths located at the park entrances, or check with the staff at the official Merchandise Booth.

All of the food booths will have counter heights of no more than 32 inches. There will be an area reserved only for wheelchairs near the sound booth in front of the stage.

No Outside Food or Beverages or Pets

Keep The Festival Safe and Free: No Outside Food, Beverages or Pets
Like all of the Jazz & Heritage Foundation events, the Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival is completely free and open to the public – part of the community investment made by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Donations, however, are gratefully accepted. If you would like to support the Foundation and help keep this event free, please make the tax-deductible contribution of your choice here.

PLEASE: Except for those with small children or dietary restrictions, please do not bring outside food or beverages to the event – no coolers are permitted.

Although Armstrong Park is usually open to pets, for the safety and comfort of the festival’s large audience, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation asks that guests respect their neighbors and leave companion animals at home (except for service animals, of course).

Like all of our events, the Tremé Creole Gumbo / Congo Square Rhythms Festival is completely free and open to the public – part of the community investment made by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. PLEASE: Except for those with small children or dietary restrictions, please do not bring outside food or beverages to the event – no coolers are permitted. 

COVID-19 safety

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation will follow all current safety protocols set by the City of New Orleans which can be found Here. More information to come.

No Recording 

Please: No audio or video recording of our performers. 

Festival Image Gallery

Video capture and livestream of this event is made possible by Jazz & Heritage radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans.

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Festival Sponsors

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is grateful for the support provided by the sponsors of the Tremé Creole Gumbo and Congo Square Rhythms Festivals including Cathead Vodka, Urban South Brewery, Evamor, Luzianne Tea, Louisiana Lottery, WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans, Chillzone LLC, WWNO 89.9, Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, National Endowment for the Arts. 

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. The Foundation uses the proceeds from Jazz Fest, and other funds, for year-round programs in the areas of education, economic development and cultural events.