NEW ORLEANS —
Inside Jayne Demarcay’s Abita Springs studio, the jeweler was hard at work, though work was about to change.
“I’ve been lucky,” said Demarcay speaking to WWLTV’s Paul Dudley. “I have had success at other shows but Jazz Fest is one of the top shows.”
Demarcay was one of the vendors set to be at Jazz Fest in April. The show makes up for roughly 40 to 50 percent of the business’ income. As more and more cases COVID-19 have been reported, she can’t say she was surprised the festival was postponed until the Fall.
“Well, we all knew it was coming. I mean they just had to do it,” said Demarcay. “That’s all there is to it.”
Jazz Fest joins other major springtime festivals forced into Fall. The Buku Festival was rescheduled for Labor Day weekend in September. The French Quarter Festival has been rescheduled for Oct. 1-4.
Long time food vendor Vance Vaucresson of the Vaucresson Sausage Company has kept a positive outlook.
“We prepared for it mentally, emotionally and we know that there are going to be some tough times ahead for us, as well as anyone who is involved in this festival,” Vaucresson said.
He coped by remembering the past for context to remind people they will make it through while keeping his eyes on the future.
“Look back in the past and you can see how we had other types of adversity to strike our city and our region and we have overcome those,” Vaucresson said. "And when we do it, it’s going to be a party so we just are going to pray and hope it subsides and let us do what we do as New Orleanians.”
The new dates for Jazz Fest have not officially been announced, but it will be in the Fall.
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