Tremé/ 7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival Celebrates Historic Neighborhood Histories
NEW ORLEANS – In celebration of the rich history and traditions of the Tremé/ 7th Ward Cultural District, the inaugural Tremé/ 7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival (T7 Fest) will be held over Memorial Day Weekend, May 26 – 28, and highlight the musicians, food, indigenous culture bearers and artisans of the two historic neighborhoods.
The festival will kick off on Friday, May 26, with Historic Neighborhood Tours of the Tremé and 7th Ward. Panel discussions will be held at the Autocrat Social & Pleasure Club and the Tremé Market Branch, exploring themes of New Orleans’ indigenous culture. The day will close with The Baby Doll Bar Crawl, visiting nine bars and taverns, where the neighborhood’s world-renowned music is created and incubated. Filled with food and spirits, visitors and locals will experience first-hand the vibrant nightlife of Tremé and the 7th Ward, organizers said.
On Saturday, May 27, beneath the elevated I-10 on N. Claiborne Avenue between Ursuline and Columbus streets, there will be art, food and music including Shannon Powell, Corey Henry & the Tremé Funktet, Partners In Crime and Sons of Jazz. There will be community art projects, youth recreation and entrepreneurship activities and inter-active health, environment, and education exhibits.
On Sunday, May 28, a second day of art, food, and music will include Gospel, Rythm & Blues, Jazz and Hip Hop, featuring Mia X, Gia Brown, Gomela, Yiseral, Kid Merv & All That Jazz, closing with performances by James Andrews, Kermit Ruffins and a traditional New Orleans Second Line.
Proceeds will benefit the Tremé/ 7th Ward Cultural District, created to promote cultural products, programs, projects and activities, while increasing tourism and visitors to the area. Bounded roughly by N. Rampart to DeSaix and Basin/Orleans Avenue to St. Bernard Avenue, the Cultural District also offers artists reduced sales tax on all original art work and historic tax credits to developers locating within its boundaries.
The Tremé/ 7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival is sponsored by: Tremé/ 7th Ward Cultural District, The Network for Economic Opportunity, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, Councilmembers-at-Large Stacy Head, Jason Williams, Councilmember Nadine Ramsey (District C), Budweiser/Southern Eagle, N. O. Multicultural Tourism Network, and Basin St. Station.
