If you’re going to Jazz Fest next weekend, then this weekend would be a good time to gear up. You want to travel light while having everything you need. With those goals in mind, I suggest shopping at your friendly neighborhood sporting-goods store for the following stuff:
Hat. You need something to keep the sunshine off of your face and neck. One year I made the mistake of wearing a Panama hat to Jazz Fest. As often happens, a downpour came, and the hat was ruined. Lesson: Make sure your hat can stand being soaked. A few years ago I found this safari-looking hat at the Audubon Zoo gift shop. Lightweight, wide-brimmed, impervious to water, perfect for Jazz Fest.
Sunglasses. Any sunglasses comfortable enough to wear all day will do. But since the wind at the Fair Grounds can make the dirt fly around, I prefer wrap-around shades. You can probably find some good ones at a sporting-goods store—look for sunglasses designed for marathon runners and triathletes.
Rain poncho. Last year, I took an umbrella to Jazz Fest, and learned a valuable lesson: If the rain comes with a bit of wind, an umbrella is nearly useless. So leave the umbrella at home, and get yourself a good rain poncho. The ones they sold last year at Jazz Fest for $35 actually work pretty well (I bought one the day after the first deluge) and are comfortable, but they are also kind of heavy to carry around, and they don’t have a real hood. So for this year, I bought myself a Dri Ducks poncho. I haven’t tested it in battle yet, but it does have a real hood, and it’s much lighter than the official Jazz Fest poncho.
A small soft-sided cooler. The folks manning the Jazz Fest gates will not allow you bring in food or drink (except for water), and they won’t allow big coolers. But they will allow you to bring in a small soft-sided cooler, which you can stock up with beer or soft drinks purchased inside. For this year, I bought myself one of these. It’s lightweight, and it will hold up to 9 cans. The front compartment is just the right size for my new poncho, and there’s also another compartment on the side, suitable for your music schedule, sunscreen, and other little stuff you might want to have. And it has a comfortable-looking shoulder strap for easy carrying. Toss in an ice pack (pre-frozen of course) and a koozie.
Cargo shorts. Comfortable, and lots of pockets. Any questions?
Shirt. Anything cool, comfortable, and that you don’t mind sweating in.
Footwear. For me, the choice is old running shoes. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and specifically designed for miles of travel on foot. And it’s okay if they get soaked or covered in mud. Another possible choice is a pair of beach Crocs. I saw a lot of these at last year’s Fest; they look comfortable and definitely will stand up to water and mud.
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