This year’s celebration benefits WWNO, New Orleans’ public radio station, which recently lost all federal funding due to budget cuts. A portion of all sales for the day will be donated to help keep the music, news, and culture flowing across the airwaves, because Carnival sounds better when everyone can hear it. 

Known for curating some of the city’s finest musical talent, the day-long lineup reads like a love letter to New Orleans, featuring (in order of appearance): Buko do Choro, Charlie and the Tropicales, Dave Navarro Quartet, a Supergroup featuring New Orleans legends Deacon John, David Torkanowsky, Kirk Joseph, Pedro Segundo, Raymond Webber, Detroit Brooks, Wessell “Warm Daddy” Anderson, Sunpie Barnes, Glen David Andrews, and special guests. Leyla McCalla, Louis Michot, and Cory Ledet will close out the celebration, bringing the day home in true Carnival fashion.

At the heart of it all are Bywater Bakery’s famously inventive king cakes! Pre-orders are highly recommended and available at bywaterbakery.com. Bywater Bakery will be open from 8am to 5pm, with live music starting at 11am. The celebration also features a full bar, a Gumbo and Ya-ka-mein station, food from Origen Bistro, and
boiled crawfish from Seither’s Seafood.