10am-4pm | New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve will host a two-day concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Folklife Center, which was established in 1976. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JELA) is one of the National Park Service units included in the Center's collection. 

Each day, representatives from the American Folklife Center will deliver presentations, offering insights into the Center's work and its collection. The artists chosen to participate in this event have been selected to reflect the spirit and diversity of the American Folklife Center's collection. Both parks are collaborating with several notable partners for this anniversary event: John Fenn from the American Folklife Center, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Nick Spitzer of American Routes, and the National Council for Traditional Arts. 

10-11am – American Folklife Center Presentation 
Join John Fenn and Andrea Decker of the American Folklife Center for a lively introduction to the Center’s 50-year legacy of preserving and sharing cultural heritage through its archives, public programs, and national collaborations. Highlighting rich collections from Louisiana, including materials connected to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, New Orleans jazz traditions, and community-based documentation projects, they will showcase the depth and vibrancy of these holdings. They’ll also share how you can explore these resources online or in person in Washington, D.C. and connect with AFC staff to support your own work and interests. 

11-11:45am: Cedric Watson 
Cedric Watson is a four-time Grammy-nominated fiddler, singer, accordionist, and songwriter from San Felipe, Texas. He debuted at 19 in Houston and moved to Louisiana at 21, diving into Louisiana French music and culture. Cedric has performed in 17 countries and contributed to seven albums, working with groups like the Pine Leaf Boys and his own Bijou Creole. His music spans ancient French and Spanish dance tunes, spiritual rhythms of Congo, forgotten Creole melodies, and modern Cajun and Zydeco songs. 

12-1pm: Cooking Demonstration – Corn Maque Choux with Janie Verret  Luster 
Janie Verret Luster, a member of the United Houma Nation and a local Native basket weaver, was presented with the 2025 Jennifer East Community Spirit Award by the First Peoples Fund, recognizing her tireless commitment to her people, her culture, and her craft. A cultural preservationist from Bayou Dularge, Janie is a practitioner of tribal customs, including palmetto basketry, alligator garfish scale jewelry, Spanish moss dolls, the healing arts, environmental conservation and indigenous foodways. 

1-1:50pm: Jimmy “Duck” Homes 
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes is the greatest living proponent of the Bentonia blues, a highly localized style known for its haunting and eerie sound. His dedication to preserving and passing on his knowledge, award-winning recordings, and electrifying stage performances are building a renaissance for the unique music that bears the name of his tiny Mississippi hometown and the famous Blue Front Juke joint. 

2-2:45pm: Juré with Jeffrey Broussard, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Leroy Etienne, and Cedric Watson 
Folklorist Alan Lomax, during his travels in Louisiana in 1934, documented the unique sounds of juré music. He described juré as "the most African sound I found in America," highlighting its deep cultural resonance and lineage. This style is characterized by a capella call-and-response singing, accompanied by rhythmic handclaps or drumming that provide a distinctive, percussive backbeat rhythm. Juré music, along with La-la music, is widely recognized as a precursor to zydeco, reflecting its foundational role in the evolution of Louisiana's Creole musical traditions. 

3-3:50pm: Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys 
Jeffery Broussard, a key figure in zydeco and member of the renowned Broussard family, began performing at age 8 with his father's band, Delton Broussard and the Lawtell Playboys. He later co-founded Zydeco Force, in the late 1980s and influencing future artists. Today, Broussard continues to promote both traditional and contemporary Creole music through his band, the Creole Cowboys. 

4-5pm: Bogue Chitto 
Bogue Chitto, which means ‘big river’ in the Choctaw language,  performs a variety of original music which comes from the original Choctaw homeland east of the biggest river around. The band will also perform several selections from the American Folklife Collection. 

More information at https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=E95F5A2E-C5E3-E388-2D3B30B8FF1A737A

Free & Open to the Public