FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:
Mary Beth Romig
504-566-5019/ 504-606-8430 cell
mbromig@neworleanscvb.com

Erica Papillion
504-566-5019
epapillion@neworleanscvb.com

CVB PARTNERS WITH JAZZ AND HERITAGE FOUNDATION TO PRESENT “SATURDAYS IN THE PARK” CONCERT SERIES CONCERTS PART OF “BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN HOMETOWN”

NEW ORLEANS – Wednesday, August 8, 2007 – The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, is pleased to present a new summer concert series “Saturdays in the Park: Live Music in Washington Square.”

The concerts, which will be held Saturday afternoons from Aug. 11 through Sept. 8, are intended both to stimulate tourism and to serve as “welcome home” parties for new and newly returned New Orleans residents.

The “Saturdays In the Park” concerts will take place in Washington Square Park, in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. These events will be free and open to the public.

“It’s a pleasure to work with the Convention & Visitors Bureau to create more cultural programming in our city,” said Don Marshall, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s executive director. “It helps us to fulfill our mission of employing as many musicians as possible, and it compliments the work of the CVB and others to make New Orleans a more exciting place for visitors and locals alike.”

“These concerts fit well with all of the many other activities going on in our city,” said J. Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. “They’ll help our ongoing efforts to bring in new visitors, and to encourage local residents to be a tourist in their own hometown, encouraging locals and those living within a few hours drive to spend a few nights in one of our great hotels, dine in our restaurants, and shop in the many stores, boutiques and galleries in the French Quarter, CBD, Warehouse District and along Magazine Street.”

The Jazz & Heritage Foundation will produce the “Saturdays In the Park” concerts, and the CVB will market them as part of the “Forever New Orleans – Weekends” campaign. Information on the many special deals for local residents at hotels, restaurants and attractions can be found at touristathome.com.

In addition to the Jazz & Heritage Foundation and the Convention & Visitors Bureau, sponsors of the “Saturdays In the Park” concert series include: Malibu rum, FrenchQuarter.com, the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association and SDT Waste & Debris Services.

The schedule of performers is as follows:

Aug. 11 The Charmaine Neville Band

Aug. 18 Susan Cowsill

Aug. 25 Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue

Sept. 1 Linnzi Zaorski & Delta Royale

Sept. 8 The Pfister Sisters

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The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.neworleanscvb.com) is the driving force behind New Orleans' most important industry, tourism, which generates $5 billion in visitor spending and creates 85,000 jobs. Today the cultural riches, sensual indulgences and unparalleled service that define the New Orleans experience continue to flourish, as they have for centuries. The most celebrated and historic core of the city - including the French Quarter, Central Business District, Warehouse and Arts District, Magazine Street and Garden District - not only remains intact, both physically and spiritually, but is thriving. The New Orleans CVB is proudly welcoming visitors and business travelers every day.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, proceeds from which support the foundation’s various community development activities. Programs and assets of the foundation include: radio station WWOZ 90.7-FM; the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive; the Don Jamison Heritage School of Music; the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series; the Jazz Journey concert series; the Community Partnership Grants program; the Raisin’ the Roof low-interest loan program for first-time home buyers; and the S.E.E.D. micro-loan program for entrepreneurs. The foundation also produces community events such as the New Orleans Blues Festival, Fiesta Latina, the Down By the Riverside Thanksgiving concert and others. See: www.jazzandheritage.org.

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