The first-ever Tremé/7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival will take place throughout the neighborhoods that are its namesake this weekend. The three-day festival–slated for May 27-29 (Memorial Day Weekend)–will highlight the musicians, food, culture bearers and artisans that have made Tremé and the 7th Ward two of the most vibrant parts of America’s most vibrant city.

Tremé Bicentennial Celebration. Photo by Kim Welsh.

The gathering will kick off on Friday with historic tours of the Tremé and 7th Ward, as well as panel discussions that explore the neighborhoods’ indigenous culture. The day will close out with The Baby Doll Bar Crawl, which will stroll through different ten bars and taverns. Tickets will be required for the panel discussions, historic tours and bar crawl.

The festival will take to the streets on Saturday, with three second lines set to perform on N. Claiborne between Basin Street and St. Bernard Avenue (under the 1-10 overpass). There will also be art and food, along with music from the Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins & the BBQ Swingers and Corey Henry & the Tremé Funktet and more. All of these activities will be free and open to the public.

The festival will continue on Sunday, May 29 with the Elders Gospel Brunch and a second line through Congo Square before finally wrapping up with a first-time inter-generational performance by the Andrews Family of Music. The Congo Square activities will also be free and open to the public.

As an added bonus, the the city will launch its Jump-Up to Clean-Up Secondline anti-littering campaign on Monday, May 30. Those festivities will end with Corey Henry & the Tremé Funktet’s album release block party.

The Tremé/7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival is being put on by the Tremé/7th Ward Cultural District. More information on the event can be found via the organization’s website.