“Hey, baby, it’s so good to see you! Where ya been?”

“Wow, haven’t seen you guys for ages. Are you in town just for Jazz Fest?”

It’s that time again.

One of the best things about Jazz Fest for someone who lives in the city is the occasion to see old friends, catch up on news and hang out with like-minded people from all over the world to talk about local music and what’s going on in the city.

The folks who come to Jazz Fest from outside the state, especially those who have been coming for years, are the best. I’m particularly fond of international visitors who make the pilgrimage every year to the Fest (a lot of them subscribe to OffBeat and the Weekly Beat, and I know it because they always come up and introduce themselves to me). These are people who have committed their dollars to New Orleans.

I’ve certainly nothing against newbies, and you can always tell who they are: the women are wearing lots of make-up, no hat, and have on shoes with high heels. The guys are wearing fancy shoes or designer clothing. Dudes, you’re spending days on a horse track full of dirt, dust and pulverized horse dung!

Of course, by their second visits to Jazz Fest they have learned the ropes and how to pace themselves. Not too much beer (or other substances). The shoes are comfy, they’re wearing a sun hat instead of a trendy hipster fedora, and they’ve got sunblock.

They’ve learned that some of the best music isn’t necessarily at the big stages. It’s the unexpected music that they caught last year at Economy Hall or the Fais Do-Do Stage or Congo Square that brings them back and makes stage-hoppers of them. Catch a little here, catch a little there. They don’t want to miss out on any Jazz Fest moments. Of course, there are the big names that have been booked to draw the big crowds. A Springsteen moment at Jazz Fest is certainly much better than any arena show.

Jazz Fest always epitomizes what’s best about New Orleans to me: the music, the camaraderie, the sense of community that you can only find there. I love the food, but usually get the same stuff most of the time, because I can’t get it during the rest of the year. I’m such an old-timer. Soft-shell crab po-boys always taste better at Jazz Fest than anywhere else in the city.

The artisan crafts always make me smile too. Every year, I visit with Dr. Foots, Chester Allen and Oscar Donahue at Congo Square, the folks from Studio Inferno, Thomas Mann; Greg Arceneaux, the Cooper-Stratton folks, Richard Thomas, Terrance Osborne, and so many more.

Thank your lucky stars that you can experience the Jazz Fest. It’s everything that’s good about the most musical city in the universe.