Louisiana
French Quarter Music Festival
Program No. 10918RJ
Immerse yourself in great music at the French Quarter Music Festival, where you’ll hear renowned musicians showcasing a range of musical styles. Come for the music stay for the cuisine.
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DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Apr 9 - Apr 14, 2025
Starting at
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6 days
5 nights
10 meals
4B 1BR 2L 3D
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
New Orleans, LA
2
Exclusive Performance, City Field Trip, Festival Begins
New Orleans, LA
3
Private Music Performance, French Quarter Music Festival
New Orleans, LA
4
Private Jazz Performance, French Quarter Festival, Free Time
New Orleans, LA
5
Private Music Performance, French Quarter Festival
New Orleans, LA
6
Jazz Brunch, Program Concludes
New Orleans, LA
At a Glance
You can’t get more New Orleans than this showcase for hundreds of local musicians on 14 stages throughout the historic Vieux Carré. There’s jazz, from Dixieland to contemporary, brass bands, classical, Cajun and Zydeco, rhythm and blues, gospel and everything in between. During private morning sessions, local musicians reveal the history and meaning behind their music as they perform just for you. Sample classic New Orleans cuisine from nearly 60 food and drink booths, visit private patios, enjoy fireworks over the Mississippi River, join in a “second line” parade and attend art exhibits and music workshops.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking 6-8 city blocks per day.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Revel in three days of authentic New Orleans music at the French Quarter Festival.
- Sample the Crescent City’s famous cuisine at renowned restaurants like Bourbon House, Muriel’s, Palace Café and the Court of Two Sisters.
- Experience special performances by top New Orleans musicians.
General Notes
This is a Road Scholar Large Group program. The number of participants in this program may be as high as 90; the whole group will be together for most lectures and meals. For some activities and field trips participants will be separated into groups of no more than 45 participants. The schedule for your group may vary from the published itinerary, but each group will have an opportunity to experience all program elements. If you are traveling with companions who are not your roommate and you would like to be grouped together, please list their names on your “Personal Information & Preferences” in your Road Scholar “My Account” page.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Doreen Ketchens
Doreen Ketchens is a musician whose primary interest lies in spreading the culture and traditional music of New Orleans all over the world through performances and education. As the leader of the jazz band Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, she has been called "Queen Clarinet," "The Female Louis Armstrong," and “Lady Louie” by critics who have heard her perform. Doreen's Jazz New Orleans has represented New Orleans around the world, performing in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, South America, Russia and the U.S.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Johnny Layton
View biography
Johnny Layton has been leading programs for Road Scholar since 2017. From the Florida Keys to Alaska, Johnny has led programs in 11 states and four countries. When he is not ensuring Road Scholar participants are having an amazing experience, you can find him in the sky crisscrossing the USA as a flight attendant or as a driver/guide on the Historic Trolley Tour at home in Asheville, North Carolina.
Anne Peery
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Anne Peery is a Mississippi native and Tallahassee resident with experience in the Florida executive branch and cabinet staff positions; executive leadership of a statewide historic preservation non-profit; conservation real estate project management with a national non-profit organization; private sector real estate brokerage and land use consulting; and numerous state and community service activities. She was the first executive director of the Florida Communities Trust and director of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, responsible for producing major educational conferences across Florida.
Milton J. Carr
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Milton Carr was born in Tremé, a cultural center of New Orleans. After studying in San Diego, Milton returned home to New Orleans where he worked for Domino Sugars. During his 33 years at Domino, he became interested in sugar cane’s connections to slavery and the economic history of the city. Milton has been a licensed New Orleans guide since 2001, and is a one-of-a-kind expert on the city's unique music, history, culture and heritage.
Robin Rocque
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Robin Rocque's favorite city to share with guests is her hometown of New Orleans. Its diversely unique culture and musical background provides a lovely backdrop during its introduction. Robin has happily led groups in many cities and several countries. Robin has been a licensed New Orleans tour guide since 2004, and a certified international tour manager since 2011. She is an alumna of Vassar College, and recently served as a board member of a nonprofit organization that provides community support in and around New Orleans.
Dave Roberts
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Dave Roberts was born in New Orleans and baptized in the same church as Louis Armstrong. He received his B.B.A. from Loyola University (New Orleans) and his M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans. For many years he worked at Loyola University as the director of student finance. Dave started working as a New Orleans group leader in 1997. His expeditions are a blend of history, architecture, food, music, writers, movies, and current events.
Doreen Ketchens
View biography
Doreen Ketchens is a musician whose primary interest lies in spreading the culture and traditional music of New Orleans all over the world through performances and education. As the leader of the jazz band Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, she has been called "Queen Clarinet," "The Female Louis Armstrong," and “Lady Louie” by critics who have heard her perform. Doreen's Jazz New Orleans has represented New Orleans around the world, performing in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, South America, Russia and the U.S.
Suggested Reading List
(8 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
French Quarter Music Festival
Program Number: 10918
Jazz Masters of New Orleans
Presents a portrait of New Orleans and the history of jazz as revealed in the careers of such jazz musicians as Louis Armstrong and Sydney Bechet. Williams was director of the Jazz Program in the Smithsonian Institution, and "brings a refreshing wholeness of perspective to the music."
Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Death, and Life in New Orleans
Nine Lives is a biography voiced through the lives of nine characters spaning over forty years who tell their stories of living in this complex and facinating city. From outsider artists and Mardi Gras Kings to jazz-playing coroners and transsexual barkeeps, these characters are challenged to rise to acts of heroism or sink to the bottom as they face the devistation of two of Louisiana's most epic storms: Hurrican Betsy, which transformed the city in the 1960's, and Katrina, which nearly destroyed it. Dan Baum brings the kaleidoscopic portrait to life, showing us what was lost in the storm and what remains to be saved.
Louis Armstrong: An American Genius
Louis Armstrong. "Satchmo." To millions of fans, he was just a great entertainer. But to jazz aficionados, he was one of the most important musicians of our times--not only a key figure in the history of jazz but a formative influence on all of 20th-century popular music. Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York during the "jazz age", Collier re-creates the saga of an old-fashioned black man making it in a white world. He chronicles Armstrong's rise as a musician, his scrapes with the law, his relationships with four wives, and his frequent feuds with fellow musicians Earl Hines and Zutty Singleton. He also sheds new light on Armstrong's endless need for approval, his streak of jealousy, and perhaps most important, what some consider his betrayal of his gift as he opted for commercial success and stardom. A unique biography, knowledgeable, insightful, and packed with information, it ends with Armstrong's death in 1971 as one of the best-known figures in American entertainment.
Creole Trombone
"John Mc Cusker is a noted journalist,musician, and photographer from New Orleans.
Edward ""Kid"" Ory (1886-1973) was a trombonist, composer, recording artist, and early New Orleans jazz band leader. Creole Trombone tells his story from birth on a rural sugar cane plantation in a French-speaking, ethnically mixed family, to his emergence in New Orleans as the city's hottest band leader. The Ory band featured such future jazz stars as Louis Armstrong and King Oliver, and was widely considered New Orleans's top ""hot"" band. Ory's career took him from New Orleans to California, where he and his band created the first African American New Orleans jazz recordings ever made. In 1925 he moved to Chicago where he made records with Oliver, Armstrong, and Jelly Roll Morton and captured the spirit of the jazz age. His most famous composition from that period, ""Muskrat Ramble,"" is a jazz standard. Retired from music during the Depression, he returned in the 1940s and enjoyed a reignited career."
Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly's Blues recounts the tumultuous life of Jelly Roll Morton (ca., 18851941). A virtuoso pianist with a larger-than-life personality, he composed such influential early jazz pieces as "King Porter Stomp" and "New Orleans Blues." However, by the late 1930s, he was nearly forgotten. In 1992, the death of an eccentric memorabilia collector led to the unearthing of a startling archive, revealing Morton to be a much more complex and passionate man than many realized. An especially immediate and visceral look into the jazz worlds of New Orleans and Chicago, Jelly's Blues is a definitive biography, a long overdue look at one of the twentieth century's most important composers.
A Streetcar Named Desire
This classic drama follows Blanche DuBois and the issues that arise when she moves to New Orleans to live with her sister and her husband.
Why New Orleans Matters
In the aftermath of Katrina and the disaster that followed, promises were made, forgotten, and renewed. Now what will become of New Orleans in the years ahead? What do this proud, battered city and its people mean to America and the world?
Award-winning author and longtime New Orleans resident Tom Piazza illuminates the storied culture and uncertain future of this great and neglected American metropolis by evoking the sensuous rapture of the city that gave us jazz music and Creole cooking; examining its deep undercurrents of corruption, racism, and injustice; and explaining how its people endure and transcend those conditions. And, perhaps most important, he asks us all to consider the spirit of this place and all the things it has shared with the world: its grace and beauty, resilience and soul.
New Orleans Jazz: A Family Album
If you are a lover and historian of Jazz, especially Dixieland, this is a must have. Many famous artists are listed, but also many obscure and unknown ones as well that helped form and develop the Jazz scene in New Orleans. Additionally, rare photos of numerous individuals, bands and locations in New Orleans are featured.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
10 meals (
4B, 1BR, 2L, 3D
)
1 expert-led lecture
1 expert-led field trip
7 performances
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00PM. If your arrival is delayed, please ask for your packet when you check in. The French Quarter Festival events take place at locations spread throughout the area. Expect to walk extensively to access the stage locations. Road Scholar will provide a folding chair to carry with you to festival stages.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, check the message board for the location to register with the Road Scholar program staff, which is also where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 4:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures and answer questions. In addition to the main event of this program, the French Quarter Festival, exclusive Road Scholar educational presentations and performances enhance your experience and learning in New Orleans. Your Group Leader will provide maps and “insider” information to assist you to navigate and choose from the extensive festival offerings and make the most of your time. For detailed festival information and to start planning in advance of your arrival in New Orleans, visit the festival website at https://frenchquarterfest.org There is also an app that can be downloaded to your smartphone to help you navigate the many offerings. Menu selections for included meals are made in advance. We’ve selected some of our favorite local eateries! Road Scholar participants are divided into groups, each with your own Group Leader, and each group will rotate through the selected restaurants. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
In a private room at the hotel. We'll enjoy a special music performance as we dine.
Evening:
At Leisure: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars. Then settle in and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Exclusive Performance, City Field Trip, Festival Begins
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach during the city field trip. The field trip will last 3.5 hours and with a short bathroom break about half way through. Walking and standing according to your personal discretion to attend your choices of festival performances.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll be joined by New Orleans musicians who will give a presentation on New Orleans Music and perform just for us! Afterwards, we’ll head over to Bourbon St. on foot to view the French Quarter Festival Kick-Off Parade. Next, we’ll meet our motorcoach to head to lunch and our field trip.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant
Afternoon:
We’ll reboard our motorcoach for an overview of the city with a local expert. We’ll make stops at highlights such as Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou St. John, City Park with its magnificent oak trees and Sculpture Garden and one of the famed and mysterious above-ground cemeteries where the departed — from pirates to voodoo queens — are interred. We will return to the hotel mid-afternoon. The remainder of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the French Quarter Festival performances. The French Quarter Music Festival, the largest free music festival in the South, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization launched in 1984. More than 2,000 community volunteers now help to make it a success. The outstanding musicians present every genre from traditional and contemporary jazz to R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, Zydeco, classical, cabaret, and international. There are more than 400 performances on 23 stages throughout the French Quarter over four days, the largest celebration in the world of Louisiana music.
Dinner:
Your choice to dine as you like. The choices are many, as local restaurants set up special stands in Jackson Square, Riverfront Park and many other locations. The “food festival” aspect is celebrated just as much as the live music.
Evening:
At leisure to enjoy the festival. Additionally, an entrance voucher is included for Fritzel’s European Jazz Club, for you to use at your discretion (drink included).
Day
3
Private Music Performance, French Quarter Music Festival
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Walking and standing according to your personal discretion to attend your choices of festival performances.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll enjoy another Road Scholar exclusive presentation and performance by local musicians.
Lunch:
For this afternoon's lunch, one group will have this meal at a local restaurant in the French Quarter, while the other will have the meal on their own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, and will alert you to which group has this free meal during orientation.
Afternoon:
Free Time to enjoy the festival. Additionally, Road Scholar includes vouchers to explore the Cabildo and Presbytère, which flank St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. Both were constructed during the Spanish period (1795-1799). The Cabildo was the center of government. The Presbytère, built on the site of what had been the residence of Capuchin monks, was used for commercial purposes. Both are now key components of the Louisiana State Museum. The Cabildo displays artifacts of American history as well as rarities such as Napoleon’s death mask. The Presbytère’s interactive exhibit on Mardi Gras traces our annual celebration from its origins to the present day with an exquisite collection of artifacts and memorabilia. Another exhibit expresses Louisiana’s saga of resilience in the face of disasters. You might also like to stroll along Royal Street with its antique shops, visit the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, or go for a ride on the paddlewheeler “Natchez” — last authentic steamboat on the Mississippi.
Dinner:
For this evening's dinner, one group will have this meal at a local restaurant in the French Quarter, while the other will have the meal on their own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, and will alert you to which group has this free meal during orientation.
Evening:
At leisure to enjoy the festival performances.
Day
4
Private Jazz Performance, French Quarter Festival, Free Time
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Walking and standing according to your personal discretion to attend your choices of festival performances and free time activities.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
During an exclusive Road Scholar presentation at the hotel, one of New Orleans' top musicians explains – and demonstrates - the origins of New Orleans Jazz, accompanied by his famous band, leaving us snapping our fingers and tapping our toes.
Lunch:
For this afternoon's lunch, one group will have this meal at a local restaurant in the French Quarter, while the other will have the meal on their own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, and will alert you to which group has the free meal during orientation.
Afternoon:
Free time. Another glorious afternoon of the festival’s musical possibilities. You may wish to explore the special events, such as Cajun and Zydeco dance lessons. Or, choose to visit the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Hermann-Grima House, sip café au lait at the Café du Monde, or any of the multitude of choices to experience New Orleans history and culture. The choices are yours!
Dinner:
For this evening's dinner, one group will have this meal at a local restaurant in the French Quarter, while the other will have the meal on their own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, and will alert you to which group has this free meal during orientation.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
Private Music Performance, French Quarter Festival
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Walking and standing according to your personal discretion to attend your choices of festival performances and free time activities.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Another up close and personal Road Scholar exclusive presentation in the hotel, with New Orleans musicians. Some of our best play just for us in a private performance.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
Free time. Is your heart pumping, are your toes tapping, your fingers snapping? Enjoy the music and events at the many festival stages.
Dinner:
We’ll walk to a nearby restaurant. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy a final evening of the French Quarter Festival! Prepare for check out and departure tomorrow.
Day
6
Jazz Brunch, Program Concludes
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
BR
Activity Note
Walking 4 blocks each way, from hotel to brunch. Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon.
Brunch:
We’ll walk from the hotel to arrive at 9:00 a.m. for an experience you’ll remember. At the celebrated Court of Two Sisters, we’ll settle in for a true New Orleans delight, the Jazz brunch, offering tasty hot and cold New Orleans favorites from eggs any style to Creole jambalaya, grits and grillades, gumbo, classic desserts, and much more; coffee, tea, water included, other beverages available for purchase. Tap your toes to the music of the restaurant’s resident jazz trio. Enjoy this final dining and musical experience with a broader and deeper understanding and appreciation of our city, the one and only New Orleans. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
10 Meals
4 Breakfasts
2 Lunches
1 Brunch
3 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Apr 09, 2025 - Apr 14, 2025
- Apr 09, 2025 - Apr 14, 2025
- Apr 08, 2026 - Apr 13, 2026
Participant Reviews
Based on 13 Reviews
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If you already are a jazz lover, the Road Scholar's tour to the New Orleans' French Quarter will fulfill your desire to hear and enjoy more jazz of a variety of types played by active jazz musicians.
— Review left April 17, 2024
Do you want to meet and learn from legendary jazz musicians in New Orleans? Want to eat delicious food, see the sights of New Orleans and attend a jazz festival? This program is for you! This program is well worth your time and money!
— Review left April 15, 2024
Wonderful program! Johnny was a great group leader. Got us where we needed to be on-time and unhurried. He has a great personality and professionalism! Robin was a font of info and a bunch of fun and energy. Every private music session gave me a different view of the music. They made me appreciate and understand the festival much more. Music and food - so New Orleans! The only issue I had was the restaurants struggled to give us hot and timely food. The group leaders worked to resolve the situation
— Review left April 24, 2023
As a solo female traveler, I had no problem feeling welcomed by the staff and participants of the recent Road Scholar tour I took. I look forward to enjoying many many more Road Scholar tours.
— Review left April 20, 2023
To visit New Orleans and hear jazz music, choose Road Scholar. Best presenters, best guides!
— Review left April 18, 2023
This is a great introduction to New Orleans (esp. the French Quarter) and its music without getting caught up in the raunchiness.
— Review left April 30, 2022
Loved this program/event and highly recommend it for music lovers. Good educational materials and well-selected instructors and performers. Also had ample free time to explore the wide variety of music offered at the Jazz Festival on your own.
— Review left April 29, 2022
Wonderful New Orleans city and even better to experience it during Jazz Fest with Road Scholar.
— Review left April 28, 2022
The French Quarter Music Festival tour was a wonderful opportunity to experience everything that defines New Orleans -- music, food, history and lots of fun
— Review left April 27, 2022
For a truly rewarding overall travel experience, go with the experts at Roads Scholar. The French Quarter Jazz Festival was top notch.
— Review left April 26, 2022
Talented musicians shared their music and knowledge, in a warm and engaging way, each morning of this FQF program. And in the comfort of the luxurious Hotel Monteleone, too!
— Review left April 26, 2022
This is a heart-expanding, thrilling program that offers full immersion in then music, culture, and (oh my) food of New Orleans.
— Review left April 21, 2019
Outstanding trip. I especially liked the musicians that came in and played just for the Road Scholar group. The music and musical education were fabulous. And the French Quarter food is unsurpassed. All in all, a memorable trip. I can understand why so many people do this trip multiple times.
— Review left April 20, 2019
