(August 22, 2017-New Orleans, Louisiana): The 5th annual Downriver Festival on Saturday, September 9th, 2017 celebrates the environmental, cultural, and economic impact of the Mississippi River and the land it built through live music, cooking demonstrations, presentations, panels, and walking tours that explore this year's theme "Shrimp and Sno-balls." Festival events occur at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint and French Market from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy the last taste of summer with shrimp dishes and your favorite sno-balls from over ten local festival food vendors.
Live music outside at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. will include performances by Javier Olando, Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, and Fredy Omar con su Banda. "The influence of the Mississippi River flows through every aspect of New Orleans culture," said Greg Lambousy, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Museum. "Downriver Fest celebrates New Orleans and its connections with the rest of the world through lectures, food and musical performances."
The French Market will host a cooking demonstration stage, located in the Farmers Market from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. "Shrimp and Sno-balls are indelible fixtures in New Orleans food culture and we are happy to highlight both the timeless icy treat and beloved crustacean's culinary contributions at this year's Downriver Festival. We hope to not only educate people on the importance of the shrimp to the Louisiana seafood industry, but also enjoy a variety of shrimp dishes alongside our favorite sno-ball," offered Jeremy Smith, Director of Marketing and Development at French Market Corporation.
Indoor lectures on the 3rd floor of the New Orleans Jazz Museum from 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. feature experts from around the state discussing everything from "Shrimp: From Net to Table to Economic Powerhouse" to "Water: The Next Generation: Educating our children about coastal restoration and all things related." "Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition is thrilled to be participating in Downriver Fest. These symposium panels are going to be engaging for a wide variety of audiences and we're looking forward to being a part of a busy, entertaining day", said Helen Rose Patterson, Greater New Orleans Outreach Coordinator for Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition. "We know that true change won't come about without engaging community youth in real coastal preservation work," added Sunny Summers, a teacher at the New Harmony XQ Super School and Downriver Festival "Water: The Next Generation" panelist
Downriver Festival is presented by a coalition of institutions that include the New Orleans Jazz Museum, The Friends of the Cabildo, The French Market Corporation, The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, and the Louisiana Museum Foundation, this year's festival partners include The Louisiana Seafood Board, The Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition, The Louisiana Children's Museum, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the Consulate General of Mexico in New Orleans, Cervantes Foundation, Water Collaborative, Ripple Effect, WWNO Radio, Gamble Communications, Parish of St. Bernard, Islenos Museum, Offbeat, Jamalar Agency, Tulane's Center for the Gulf South.
Social Media:
Downriver Festival Website
Facebook: facebook.com/downriverfestival
Instagram: @downriverfest
Twitter: @downriverfest
Hashtag: #downriverfest
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Contact:
Greg Lambousy, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Museum
glambousy@crt.la.gov, 504-427-2190
Helen Rose Patterson, Greater New Orleans Outreach Coordinator for Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition
pattersonh@nwf.org, 504-264-6866
Jeremy Smith, Director of Marketing and Development, French Market Corporation
jsmith@frenchmarket.org, 504-520-0585