The second annual Treme/7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival (a.k.a. T7 Fest) will return to the neighborhood that is its namesake over Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-28. This year’s festival will feature performances from James Andrews, Kermit Ruffins, Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet, Shannon Powell, Partners-N-Crime and more, as well as plenty of educational, culinary and cultural programming.
Festivities will kick off on Friday, May 26 with historic neighborhood tours of Treme and the 7th Ward. The Autocrat Social & Pleasure Club and the Treme Market Branch will host panel discussions, while the The Baby Doll Bar Crawl will bring attendees to nine bars and taverns with deep ties to the neighborhood and its culture. Tickets will be required for these events.
On Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, the celebration will move under the I-10 overpass on N. Claiborne between Ursuline and Columbus Streets. The location will play host to numerous musical performances, in addition to community art projects and youth recreation and entrepreneurship activities. There will also be interactive health, environment and education exhibits. All of these activities will be free and open to the public.
Saturday will bring sets from Shannon Powell, Corey Henry & the Tremé Funktet, Partners-N-Crime and Sons of Jazz, while Sunday will feature James Andrews, Kermit Ruffins, Mia X, Gia Brown, Gomela, Y’Isreal Trio and Kid Merv & All That Jazz. The festival will then close out with a traditional New Orleans second line.
Tickets for the neighborhood tours and bar crawl are now on sale, and more information is available via the Treme/7th Ward Cultural District’s website. Proceeds from the event will benefit the district, which was created to promote cultural products, programs, projects and activities, while increasing tourism and visitors to the area. Bounded roughly by N. Rampart to DeSaix and Basin/Orleans Ave. to St. Bernard Ave., the Cultural District also offers artists reduced sales tax on all original artwork and historic tax credits to developers locating within its borders.
Here’s a look at the music schedule:
SATURDAY, MAY 27
Treme Stage
Sons of Jazz 12:00 – 1:00
Dat Boi Cue 1:00 – 2:00
Iris P. 2:00 – 3:00
Ragin Rebelz 3:00 – 4:00
Sunni Patterson 4:00 – 5:00
Young Spodie & The Bigshots 5:00 – 6:00
Corey Henry & The Tremé Funktet 6:00 – 7:00
7th Ward Stage
Kenneth Terry Jazz Band 12:30 – 1:30
Original Royal Players Brass Band 1:30 – 2:30
Young & Talented Brass Band 2:30 – 3:30
Andrews Family Band 3:30 – 4:30
Red Flames Hunters 4:30 – 5:30
Shannon Powell 5:30 – 6:30
Partners-N-Crime 6:30 – 7:30
SUNDAY, MAY 28
Treme Stage
Black Butterflies 12:00 – 1:00
Y’Isreal Trio 1:00 – 2:00
Bernell & The All Starz Brass Band 2:00 – 3:00
Mia X 3:00 – 4:00
Gina Brown & Anutha Level 4:00 – 5:00
Tremé Brass Band 5:00 – 6:00
James Andrews & The Crescent City All Stars 6:00 – 7:00
7th Ward Stage
Zion Trinity 12:30 – 1:30
Meregue 4 1:30 – 2:30
Gomela: Movement of our Mother Tongue 2:30 – 3:30
Bamboula 2000 3:30 – 4:30
Kid Merv & All That Jazz 4:30 – 5:30
Neisha Ruffins 5:30 – 6:30
Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers 6:30 – 7:30
