The 11th annual  Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival, organized by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, returns this November for its signature blending of brass bands with creole cooking.

This year’s festival, which takes place in its usual home of Louis Armstrong Park, will of course spotlight the city’s vast musical talent and culinary genius. A special note in this year’s programming is its focus on Travis “Trumpet Black” Hill, an adored musician who passed away suddenly in 2015. He was only 28 years old.

In acknowledgment of Hill’s passing and his memory, a lineup of musicians with ties to Trumpet Black has been put together for this year’s event. Grammy winners Rebirth Brass Band will be there, as will Ashlin Parker and his Trumpet Mafia. Shamarr Allen, James Andrews, Corey Henry and his Tremé Funktet will also perform.

“Nearly all of this year’s performers had strong connections to Trumpet Black,” say festival organizers. “James Andrews is a cousin. [Trumpet Black] performed with the Hot 8 and the Tremé Funktet. And he had relationships both professional and personal with most of the other musicians who will be onstage.”

Festival favorites the Hot 8, the Pinettes, the Tremé and the Free Agents brass bands will also take the stage.

Naturally, there will be a strong focus on food, with cooking demonstrations and vendors lined up to dish out bowls of gumbo and other New Orleans classics.

2018 Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival Performance Schedule:

Saturday, Nov. 17: 
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Tremé Brass Band
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.    James Andrews
2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.      Cooking Demonstration: with Ericka Lassair of Diva Dawg
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.      Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.      Cooking Demonstration: Gumbo Z’herbes with celebrity chef Kevin Belton
4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.      Shamarr Allen
6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.      Ashlin Parker’s Trumpet Mafia

Sunday, Nov. 18: 
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.    Free Agents Brass Band
2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.      Cooking Demonstration: Cajun Seafood Gumbo, with Tia Moore Henry of Café Dauphine
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.      Pinettes Brass Band
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.     Cooking Demonstration: Okra Seafood Gumbo with Poppy Tooker of Louisiana Eats
4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.     Hot 8 Brass Band
6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.     Rebirth Brass Band

The 2018 Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival takes place Saturday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov., 18, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. both days in Louis Armstrong Park. Admission is free. For more information, click here.