Festivals are a huge part of life in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana.

They celebrate our culture, music, food, customs and long-standing traditions. I’ve always thought that it would be a great job to go from festival to festival throughout the state, heading to all the celebrations: Mudbug Madness, the Christmas Festival in Natchitoches, the Baton Rouge Blues Festival, the Islenos Festival in St. Bernard, the Rayne Frog Festival, festivals celebrating sugar cane, boudin, zydeco, French culture, catfish, strawberries—you get the picture.

So many festivals—especially those in the larger cities—are big enough to have a major positive impact on the businesses and economies of the places in which they’re held. French Quarter Festival now calls itself the largest free music festival in the South. What started as an attempt by the New Orleans Mayor’s Office to bring locals back to the French Quarter (because of construction in the quarter prior to the 1984 World’s Fair) has created a hugely attended, quality destination event in New Orleans springtime for locals and visitors.

The festival was originally supposed to attract folk back to the Quarter—the merchants and businesses were suffering from lack of foot traffic. But are Vieux Carre businesses actually benefiting from the original purpose of the festival?

For over 20 years, the emphasis of the festival has moved outside the French Quarter to the river and Woldenberg Park, and to the Old Mint. There used to be more stages on Royal and Bourbon Street; now most of the stages are nearer the river.

Last year, I did an “informal” survey of some businesses on Royal Street, simply by asking a few merchants if their business increased during French Quarter Fest. The results were mixed. Businesses that sold upscale merchandise—antiques, upscale galleries, jewelry—didn’t see much of an increase. “Once the festival got so big—and the fact that it’s free—means people don’t really come to shop for the kind of goods we offer,” said one proprietor of a jewelry store. “We have less people in our store during French Quarter Festival than at normal times during the year.” But other business operators were a lot more positive: “We do great during French Quarter Fest,” said the manager of another jewelry and gift store that sells less expensive merchandise.

There are some restaurants who have said their business drops during French Quarter Festival because attendees tend to do their eating at the food booths sponsored by the event.

French Quarter Festival is a superb event, but maybe organizers should consider moving more activities to the other side of the Quarter, perhaps to Armstrong Park or North Rampart Street. It would spread out some of the crowds and allow them to walk through the Quarter to benefit more of the businesses for whom the festival was started in the first place.