ESSENCE Cultural Festival Releases Statement on the 2024 New Orleans Clean Zone Ordinance

As we approach the thirtieth celebration of the ESSENCE Cultural Festival, we remain focused on continuing to strengthen our ties to the New Orleans and Louisiana community, rooted in ongoing collaboration with local partners and stakeholders. We aim to amplify local talent by showcasing amazing artists on our stages reminiscent of Birdman Presents 30 Years of Cash Money Millionaires, Tank and the Bangas, Teedra Moses, Dawn Richard, Lloyd and more! Additionally, we proudly support partnerships with Femme Fatale and Zulu during the Mardi Gras season, celebrating the city’s wealthy cultural heritage. This month, we announced grants to pick out New Orleans high schools and youth-serving organizations, including InspireNOLA, St. Mary’s Academy and the Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts & Cultural Justice – and that is just the starting. The festival’s commitment to New Orleans will proceed to evolve, fueled by our commitment to nurturing and uplifting the city and the entire state of Louisiana, including employing several year-round vendors and native employees to provide the annual festival. We are continuously on the lookout for latest opportunities to support initiatives that mix our shared values ​​with our contribution to community development. After a recent town hall meeting, we’re proud that the community prevailed together with our past and ongoing efforts to make sure the Clean Zone meets and serves all local businesses. We proceed this commitment by investing in the community and ensuring that the Clean Zone protects local businesses, and through this 12 months’s festival, local minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the general Clean Zone area will give you the chance to activate experiences without disruption and freed from charge, as a Festival-sanctioned event, using previously approved marks distributed by ESSENCE, upon receipt of the application. The Clean Zone is a key element of large-scale events in any city because it allows the festival to strengthen partnerships with local businesses, stakeholders and creates opportunities for synergy and engagement with festival sponsors. We are thrilled with this celebratory result and can proceed to offer support from our Host Committee, including the City of New Orleans, the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund, and partnerships with the state of Louisiana. We are committed to creating a positive impact in the areas that matter most to New Orleanians, and while we may not give you the chance to handle every issue, we remain open to listening and constructing a greater community together. For more information on the economic impact of the 2023 festival, visit ESSENCE.com.