Celebrate Satchmo SummerFest this weekend in New Orleans

Satchmo SummerFest is back this weekend at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the old U.S. Mint on Saturday, August 5th and Sunday, August 6th. This free two-day celebration in New Orleans is one of the only festivals in the world that is dedicated to honoring musical icon Louis Armstrong.

Photo bySatchmo SummerFest Facebook

Satchmo SummerFest features 4 stages of music, a lineup of delicious dishes from various Louisiana restaurants, and an incredible indoor lecture series to educate guests on Armstrong’s history and enduring impact. This year, Satchmo SummerFest will feature musical performances by Kermit Ruffins, Charmaine Neville, Rebirth Brass Band and more. Come out to enjoy the live music and some inspired dishes from Beaucoup Eats, Cafe Dauphine, 14 Parishes, Plum Street Snowballs and more.

Photo bySatchmo SummerFest Facebook

Satchmo SummerFest was first established in 2001 as a tribute to one of New Orleans’ most famous native sons, the late Louis Armstrong, in honor of his 100th birthday. It was so successful that it has become an annual event that is held on the first weekend of August every year, to coincide with Armstrong’s birthday on August 4th. Louis Armstrong was born in 1901 and raised in New Orleans. Throughout his career, he entertained millions from heads of state and royalty to the neighborhood kids on his stoop in Corona, New York. Despite his fame, he lived a simple life in a working-class neighborhood. The man known around the world as “Satchmo,” short for Satchelmouth, was widely recognized as a founding father of jazz, a unique American art form. In 1932, Melody Maker Magazine's editor Percy Brooks greeted Armstrong in London with “Hello, Satchmo!” and the nickname stuck. Armstrong passed away in 1971 but his influence as an artist and cultural icon is universal, unmatched, and lives on today.

To learn more about Satchmo SummerFest, go to https://satchmosummerfest.org/