Featured photo: Festival goers party at the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival Presented by Twisted Root. Photo by Casey Habich.
UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CONCLUDED.
The 13th Annual Highland Jazz and Blues Festival Presented by Twisted Root Burger Company will be held, 12-5 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 in Shreveport’s Columbia Park. The organizers of this free annual music festival – which will feature headlining performances by Flow Tribe, Soul Rebels Brass Band and Professor Porkchop and the Dirty Dishes – have offered 20×49.com readers the chance to win a VIP admission package featuring the following:
-Two VIP passes granting access to the VIP tent (because this perk includes complimentary beer, the winner must be 21 years of age or older)
-One limited-edition 2016 HJBF poster signed by artist Karen La Beau
-One HJBF t-shirt
Though the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival is geographically small, there’s a lot more going on at the fest than meets the eye. I asked Kelly Rich, festival organizer and director of the Highland Area Partnership, to share a few of her favorite “pro tips” for getting the most out of the event. Here’s what she had to say:
Beat the crowds.
“The festival officially begins at noon, but people usually start arriving and staking out their spots by 11 a.m. There’s also a young musicians showcase at the Gazebo Stage beginning at 11:30 a.m. The free festival shuttle provided by iShuttle will begin carrying passengers from Mall St. Vincent to the festival site at 11 a.m., for folks who want to beat the crowds.”
Make a home base on the park lawn.
“Festival goers shouldn’t approach this festival like they would approach an event at Festival Plaza. I tell people to bring blankets and chairs, claim themselves a spot and kind of make a picnic out of it.”
Bring your dog (and get it pampered in the Raising Cane’s Dog Area).
“We’ll have water stations, groomers on-hand to decorate your dog for the festival, free treats and even nail trims. Dogs are welcome everywhere at the festival, but this special dog area sponsored by Raising Cane’s is just our way of highlighting that ours is one of the few dog-friendly festivals.”
Walk the entire park before you decide on what to eat.
“We have two vendor areas in separate parts of the park, and the art vendors and the food vendors are interspersed among one another. We’re also going to have about 10 food trucks in the park that day.”
Gonna buy a poster? Get it signed at Festival Headquarters.
“We worked with Highland-based artist Karen La Beau this year, who created a beautiful design for the official festival poster. Karen will be signing the poster at Festival Headquarters from 3-4 p.m.”
My number one tip for this festival? Ride the free shuttle provided by iShuttle. Save yourself (and the neighborhood) a little grief by parking at Mall St. Vincent (near Dillard’s) and hopping aboard an iShuttle van for a free ride to the fest. The festival is attended each year by more than 10,000 music fans – competing with several thousand other cars for a parking spot near the festival just isn’t the move.
Like the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival on Facebook for more updates.
Are dogs allowed on the shuttle?
Now that is a fantastic question! Let me ask and see if I can get an answer for you.
Festival organizer Kelly Rich informs me that “The Shuttle is pet friendly as well,” so you should be able to hop aboard the Shuttle to the festival with your pet.
This is going to be awesome. Are acts still being excepted?