Don't miss the New Orleans Jazz Fest; a few tips before you go

Now in its 46th year, this music and heritage festival runs two weekends (April 24-26 and April 30-May 3)...

Be prepared for heat. Bring sunscreen and a hat, or maybe one of those Mardi Gras umbrellas that people wave in parades. Just don't open it in someone's face or block their view.

Be prepared for rain. This is a humid, southern city hugging the Mississippi. The big dusty field that is the Fair Grounds Race Course muddies up once the rain comes. Leave your cute shoes at home. Nobody is looking at your feet anyway.

Bring a small chair. Sit in it until the music starts and you can't sit down. Bring a blanket to sit on if you want to, but other music fans will walk over it (and you) and you can't see the performers from down there anyway. If it rains, you've got a wet blanket to deal with.

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