Jazz and Blues Festival returns to neighborhood

In 2003, a small festival featuring just a few bands and vendors launched to promote Shreveport’s Highland neighborhood.

This Sept. 17, the 13th annual Highland Jazz and Blues Festival will display how much it has grown with nearly 80 vendors featuring a wide variety of art and food, plus performances by multiple local bands and two from New Orleans.

“It’s something that has grown organically,” said Director Kelly Rich. “It really does have a life of its own.”

The event, held in Columbia Park, initially started out as an initiative to bring about renewal to the Highland area, which was losing residents, Rich said. She believes the festival has accomplished that mission in numerous ways.

“It really did start as a group trying to work on helping to revitalize the neighborhood,” Rich said. “This core group came together to change the perception and push economic development in the Highland neighborhood – they said, ‘Hey, let’s put together this music festival as a gift to the community.’” Rich said she has seen the growing benefits of the event for Highland in just the past four years of her involvement.

“There’s a very large revitalization of the Highland neighborhood,” she said. “The festival and also the Mardi Gras parade have highlighted the neighborhood where we’re bringing people from outside the city, seeing events that are unique and different.

“That’s something about Highland – we like to really highlight that we are a little different,” Rich said. “We are one of the most diverse neighborhoods that you’ll find in the region.”

The day of music, set from noon to 5 p.m., will feature local performers including Professor Porkchop and the Dirty Dishes, Buddy Flett, Jerry Beach Tribute, EZ Money and the Red River Valley Band. New Orleansbased funk rock group Flow Tribe will perform at 2:15 p.m., and New Orleans brass ensemble Soul Tribe will take the Twisted Root Pavilion Stage at 3:45 p.m.

With a special zone planned just for children’s activities, the festival is also familyfriendly, Rich said.

“There will be a big kids’ tent that has activities, art projects and face-painting for the kiddos,” she said.

Visitors will see an equal mix of different food and art vendors with almost 80 vendors signed up to participate. That number is the largest the festival has seen thus far, Rich said, and it includes multiple food trucks and local restaurants, as well as some sellers who don’t have a traditional brick and mortar location, but instead can only be found at various festivals and fairs.

“It’s really kind of a vast array,” she said.

For the art vendors featured at the fest, everything sold has to be handmade, homemade and locally made.

One of the special amenities provided by the festival in conjunction with River Cities Cycling is a free bike valet.

“Highland is also one of the bikefriendliest neighborhoods,” Rich said.

“If you want to ride your bike to the festival, the bike valet run by River Cities Cycling will keep it in a secure area. Since they’re also a bike business, they’re there to answer any questions or issues you have with your bike.”

Another distinct highlight of the festival is the dog-friendliness built in to the activities. A special section sponsored by Raising Cane’s will be set up with all kinds of fun services for dogs, including water stations, nail trims and treats.

“Dogs are welcome all throughout the park,” Rich said.

To make parking easier for attendees, free shuttles will run back and forth from the Mall St. Vincent to the festival.

“Three of the big shuttle buses will be running continuously an hour before and after the festival,” Rich said.

“They’re aiming to not have anyone wait longer than 10 minutes.”

One of the most notable aspects of the festival is that it remains free to the public, Rich said.

“We have really wide range of different people,” she said. “We want to get people there who might not have access to that kind of music.”

While the festival is free, proceeds made from various merchandise sales and donations go toward bringing the festival back the next year, as well as some community projects.

“It helps the community garden and upkeep of Columbia Park,” Rich noted. “There is also a spring fund-raiser that focuses on Highland food: A Taste of Highland.”

The festival will not be the only celebration taking place that weekend. A festival preview party at Great Raft Brewing will take place Sept. 16, featuring live music by Jig the Alien and Astro Motel.

The official after party on Saturday night will be held at Twisted Root Burger Co. with music by Magnolia Mae on the patio.

Finally, the Glenwood Tea Room will host a jazz brunch from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 18, featuring music by Andrew Powers.

– Sarah Crawford

More inforMation:

Twisted Root’s Pavilion Stage 12:00 pm Buddy Flett 1:00 pm Professor Porkchop and the Dirty Dishes 2:15 pm Flow Tribe 3:45 pm Soul Rebels

Foster Orthodontics’ Gazebo Stage 11:30 am Young Musician Spotlight:

East Kings and Plus 1 12:15 pm Red River Valley Band 1:15 pm Easy Money 2:30 pm Jerry Beach Tribute For more information, visit wwwhighlandjazzandblues org