Celebrating Satchmo in New Orleans

Everybody who loves Louis Armstrong knows his birthday was on July 4, right? It turns out that it took until the mid-1980s to learn that Satchmo’s special day wasn’t July 4, 1900, but August 4, 1901.

And why do you care?

Because if you’re anywhere near New Orleans the first weekend of August, you can swing by for a celebration of the life and music of Louis Armstrong at the Satchmo SummerFest. This year marks the festival’s 10th anniversary, and the celebration runs from August 5 to 8 with live music on the grounds of the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint and the French Market. But beside the music, there will be lectures, seminars, a traditional second line parade, a Jazz Mass, and more. The Satchmo Summerfest is free and open to the public.

Another New Orleans event during Armstrong birthday weekend is the Satchmo Club Strut, a musical club crawl on Frenchmen Street and a benefit for the New Orleans Jazz Celebration’s efforts to “preserve, promote, and perpetuate jazz, America’s original art form, through educational outreach to audiences of all ages.” At the event on August 6, the first musicians start playing at 6 p.m. and the last band will end well after midnight. General admission tickets are $30 and VIP tickets (allowing balcony party access, food and beverages) are $80 per person.

Come on out and celebrate in New Orleans style! Look for me; I’ll be the one dancing in the street.