Festival season gears up Friday, October 5 with the 2012 Gretna Heritage Fest located in historic downtown Gretna. The three-day event, which features local artists and a nostalgic bill of music superstars across seven stages, will be headlined this year by rock and blues singer Joe Cocker.
Joe Cocker headlines the 2012 Gretna Heritage Festival Saturday, October 6.
Festivities kick off at 4 p.m. Friday with Michael Aaron and the Strays on the Old Post Office Stage and the partying won’t stop until well after 11 p.m. – and ‘70s-‘80s radio mainstays Foreigner deliver their last power ballad. Also on the first night’s schedule: homegrown talents Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr.’s Zydeco Twisters, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell and the outlaw country stylings of David Allan Coe.
The next day, things start a little earlier at 2 p.m. with smaller acts such as Gregg Martinez and The Delta Kings, Flow Tribe and more. Expect the gamut of Louisiana music out and on stage in full force, with sets by everyone from Little Freddie King to Mia Borders, The Yat Pack to The Revivalists. And at 5 p.m. on the Main Stage, The Spinners will get the crowd pumped for The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards, followed by the legendarily raspy-voiced Cocker, whose new album, Fire It Up — his 23rd — drops in November.
Sunday’s highlights include performances by bluesman Bobby Rush and a trio helmed by Galactic’s Stanton Moore. Come 1 p.m., the Bucktown Allstars will hit the Gretna Fest Stage and warm up the crowd for the Main Stage finales by Pat Green and Sunday’s headliners Big & Rich, Cowboy Troy and Bradley Gaskin.
The music isn’t the only thing to look forward to at Gretna Fest — the food court is a fine representation of classic New Orleans cuisine and as well as international fare. With more than 45 different food booths – including an Italian Village and German Beer Garden — there’s sure to be something for everyone. If the kids are all wound up from the sugary treats at the food tent, carnival rides and entertainment will tire them out, and an arts and crafts section will spotlight local talent.
For a full schedule of the weekend’s lineup, check out the event’s website. Parking and shuttle rides will be available from the Westside Shopping Center, in addition to the ferry from Canal Street (free for pedestrians). Admission is $20 per day or $50 for a weekend pass, with discount tickets available online.
