The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra will celebrate the grand opening of the Peoples Health New Orleans Jazz Market with several events this weekend, beginning with the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 2.

The new facility, which opened temporary to host OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Music Business Awards this past January, will provide music education, community events, a developing jazz archive, and live performances by Irvin Mayfield, NOJO, and other renowned musicians.

Photo: Stephen Maloney

Hosted by Councilmember LaToya Cantrell and NOJO Board Chairman Ron Forman, the grand opening kicks off at 7 p.m. on Thursday and features musical performances by Irvin Mayfield (NOJO’s founder and artistic director) and legendary vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater (Honorary NOJO Board Chair).

Speakers include Nick Karl (Peoples Health), Margaret Anadu (Goldman Sachs’ Urban Investment Group), Ommeed Sathe (Prudential Financial, Inc.), Mikki Shepard (The Apollo Theater), and leaders from the Jazz Market’s other key partnerships.

The official ribbon cutting takes place at 8 p.m., and the after-party begins at 10 p.m. at the Jazz Market’s Bolden Bar, set to the rollicking blues tunes of Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters.

The Jazz Market is housed in the former Gators Department Store building, which was once the historic Dryades Market.

Mayfield will host another event at the facility on Friday night, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with Mikki Shepard.