The 8th annual NOLA River Fest continues through Sunday September 27 this weekend.
The festival celebrates the environmental, cultural, and economic impact of the Mississippi River and the land it built through live music, panels, and virtual tours that explore this year’s theme “Working on the River.” Live music will be streamed daily from the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint., 400 Esplanade Avenue at the river.
This weekend, the NOLA River Fest features virtual performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Thursday September 24 at 2 p.m., the Jazz Foundation presents drummer Mayumi Shara & Tack Tom Revolution, with James Singleton, Brent Rose, Victor Atkins and Louis Ford. At 5:30 p.m., enjoy the inimitable Treme Brass Band.
On Friday, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performs at 5 p.m. And on Saturday at 11 a.m., Rebel Babel Ensemble—conducted by award-winning conductor and producer L.U.C.—is an international orchestra of big bands that plays for peace and dialog, including cultures and musical genres all over the world. Within five years over 11,000 musicians from 15 countries have played with this unique group. The traveling orchestra plays always with local musicians showcasing the beauty of different regions, sounds and styles of brass and wind.
On Sunday at 2:00 p.m. New Orleans-born Grayhawk Perkins performs. Perkins—who is of Native American Choctaw and Houma Nation descent—is a well-known cultural figure in Louisiana who has worked professionally as an educator, historian and a musician. He’s shared the stage with many notable acts such as Dr. John and Coco Robicheaux and he performs regularly at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Voodoo Experience Music Festival.
From 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Bon Bon Vivant (OffBeat cover artists in October) perform.
Livestreamed virtual panels include a Mississippi River flyover, history review, photography discussion, and an exploration of the Poverty Point World Heritage Site. Panel viewers can also join in on ZOOM. For a full schedule of events, music and panels, go to nolariverfest.org
