Welcome to Crafts, Villages & Marketplaces

WELCOME TO CraFTS, VILLaGES aND MarKETPLaCES

BEGINNING IN THE EARLY ‘70S WITH A HANDFUL

OF ARTISANS – from self-taught painter and street preacher Sister Gertrude Morgan, to acclaimed jewelry designer Mignon Faget and Louisiana Coushatta basket weavers – the Festival’s Crafts now include the diverse works of hundreds of regionally and nationally acclaimed artists in multiple distinct event venues.

CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS set among blues, jazz and gospel music tents in Heritage Square, is a nationally recognized showcase of alluring handcrafted clothing, beautiful leather goods and musical instruments, along with a brilliant array of paintings, photographs, sculptures and irresistible jewelry. Certain to please your creative inquiries, observe ongoing skilled demonstrations of metal work and painting, as well as pottery turning.

Filled with music, art and energy, the CONGO SQUARE AFRICAN MARKETPLACE is alive with the culture and spirit which helped create the jazz and heritage for which New Orleans is known. You will find an array of local, national and international artisans exhibiting ancient crafting techniques, as well as modern variations and adaptations of those techniques. Enjoy the exchange of wares, customs and ideas that embodies a true marketplace experience as you encounter people and art from throughout the African Diaspora. While at the market, be sure to visit the Congo Square Altar Tent, a fashion show on each Friday featuring designs from select Congo Square vendors. On each opening day, stilt walkers and drummers will kick things off.

In LOUISIANA MARKETPLACE, the state’s finest traditional and contemporary artists display and sell hand-colored photographs, Creole and Acadian furniture, whimsical jewelry and other creations that evoke the state’s unique cultural landscape.

In the LOUISIANA FOLKLIFE VILLAGE, master craftsmen and tradition-bearers create cultural treasures by using generations-old techniques. Here, Cajun musicians meticulously handcraft accordions, fishermen knit shrimp nets and boat-builders transform bald cypress into the graceful pirogues and skiffs that ply our waterways. Watch as New Orleans architectural tradesmen forge decorative ironwork and mold ornamental plaster medallions characteristic of historic New Orleans homes. Learn the traditions of Mardi Gras Indians and neighborhood Marching Clubs, and watch as float-makers create carnival masterpieces from papier-mâché. Visit the Folklife Village and bear witness to our state’s unique cultural history. A component of the Folklife Village, the NATIVE AMERICAN VILLAGE celebrates the rich heritage of our state’s indigenous peoples. Here you can see demonstrations of traditional indigenous crafts from many of the Louisiana Native tribes such as the art of basket weaving, wood carving, and beadwork. You can also taste traditional Native American foods such as fry bread and maque choux while enjoying traditional pow wow dancing.

PHOTO BY GIRARD MOUTON III