Celebrating culture, legacy at 31st annual Essence Festival in New Orleans

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) – Essence Magazine is celebrating 55 years of legacy, and the festival is highlighting 31 years of culture and excellence in New Orleans during the Fourth of July weekend.

This weekend not only brings a film festival, panels, vendors, and beauty giveaways, but also a star-studded line-up of performers. Essence Ventures Chief Content Officer Michele Ghee said there will be over 200 vendors.

“I say it is one of the bright spots of what we’re doing. We know we bring money to New Orleans. We love that $342 million we brought last year, we plan on doing the same this year, but all of the vendors have an opportunity to elevate their platform,” said Ghee.

Newly announced additions to the lineup include Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Babyface, Jill Scott and Friends set featuring three generations of Philly soul, powerhouse vocalist Patti LaBelle, and Grammy award-winning R&B icon Jazmine Sullivan.

Inside the Convention Center, attendees will find products from their favorite beauty brands, pop-up concerts, a chance to hear from authors, taste amazing food, and experience Black excellence.

Each year, Essence brings in hundreds of thousands of people and generates income for the city of New Orleans. To ensure safety, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said hundreds of officers will be on the ground.

For a list of activities, dates, and times, visit the official Essence Festival website.

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