New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation to Pause Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival and Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival

THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HERITAGE FOUNDATION TO PAUSE UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS FOR TWO FESTIVALS

Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival and Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival will pause to reimagine their future

Dwayne Dopsie at the 2022 Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival photographed by Eric Simon

NEW ORLEANS (August 20, 2026) – The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation announces the pause of two of its festivals, the Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival and Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, beginning the 2026-2027 programmatic year. Since 2008, these festivals have celebrated the traditions, communities, artists, and culture interwoven with Louisiana’s identity. This year, honoring those traditions also means thoughtfully considering how we carry forward our support for them.

“The Foundation takes its position as a presenter and preserver of our cherished culture within our community and across the state seriously, and we want to make sure that we are continuing the tradition of these festivals with intentional care and consideration,” says Foundation Interim Executive Director Sarita Carriere. “We are grateful for your patience and understanding as we listen to our community of artists, culture bearers, and community members; learn from the past 18 years and the storied histories that shape the very festivals we produce; and lean into the transformative and inspirational lessons we learn along the way.”

Over the coming months, the Foundation will listen, reflect, and reimagine what comes next while further engaging with Louisiana’s artists, culture bearers, community members, and partners as we explore new ideas for celebrating these important cultural traditions. The goal during this pause is not only to examine and bring back exactly what’s been done before, but to be more intentional and community-driven, creating experiences that more fully recognize the people, places, histories, and traditions central to the cultures the Foundation is committed to honoring.

In the meantime, fest-goers are invited to attend the 20th annual Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, October 9–11 at Lafayette Square, and the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, April 3 – 4, 2027, in Armstrong Park. The Foundation looks forward to celebrating more music, culture, and community that lies ahead with New Orleans and audiences across the state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mariah C. Forde, Assistant Director of Marketing
mariah@jazzandheritage.org
504-438-7516

ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HERITAGE FOUNDATION
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation uses proceeds generated by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell and additional funds for year-round programs in education, economic development, and cultural enrichment, including initiatives like the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, Congo Square Lecture Series, Class Got Brass, youth workshops, grants, music industry workshops, and festivals such as the Crescent City Blues & BBQ, Tremé Creole Gumbo, Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco and Congo Square Rhythms. These free programs aim to support Louisiana’s cultural community and are complemented by assets such as the Jazz & Heritage radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM, the Jazz & Heritage Archive, and the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. For more information, visit www.jazzandheritage.org.