The fourth annual Downriver Festival will be held Saturday, September 10 at the Old U.S. Mint and French Market, featuring lectures, live music, a photography workshop, walking tours, and culinary demonstrations that celebrate all aspects of the Mississippi River’s influences. This year’s theme is "Oysters and the Future of Our Coast."

The free festival will run from 11a-6:30p. Schedule of events:

COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS at the Downriver CULINARY STAGE AT THE FRENCH MARKET

11a Chef Jason Klutts of Café Henri cooking demonstration

12p 2 Girls 1 Shuck oyster shucking demo and talk

1-1:45p Royal & Dumaine Hawaiians featuring Miss Carolyn Broussard

2p Chef Kevin Belton of New Orleans School of Cooking demonstration

3p Royal & Dumaine Hawaiians featuring Miss Carolyn Broussard

4p J’s Seafood Dock oyster shucking presentation

INDOOR SYMPOSIUMS: THIRD FLOOR, OLD U.S. MINT: “Oysters and the Future of our Coast”
Coordinated by Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition

11:30a-12p The Port of New Orleans and Gulf Restoration. President and CEO of Port of New Orleans, Gary LaGrange, will discuss the importance of The Port of New Orleans, and why restoration is important for the success of our port.

12:15-1:15p Oyster Industry History. Sea Grant Scholar Dr. Don Davis, PhD, LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology, will give a presentation on the history of oystering in Louisiana.

1:30-2:30p What Makes a Tasty Oyster? A panel moderated by documentary filmmaker Kevin McCaffrey with Dr. Earl Melancon, PhD, Distinguished Service Professor of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University and Byron Encalade, oysterman and President of Louisiana Oystermen Association. The topic of discussion will focus on traditional knowledge of oystering, what conditions make for tasty oysters, and the concept of terroir.

2:45-3:45p Thinking Outside the Shell. A panel moderated by Kevin McCaffrey with Rusty Gaudé, Louisiana State University AgCenter/ Louisiana Sea Grant Program, Deb Abibou, PhD, Habitat Programs Director, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, and Seth Blitch, Director of Coastal and Marine Conservation, TNC (The Nature Conservancy) Louisiana. The conversation will focus on oyster restoration efforts and the future of oysters in Louisiana. Topics will include oyster shell recycling, oyster reef restoration, off bottom aquaculture and oysters in restaurants.

4-5p Managing Oysters, Restoration, and Relationships. Andy Wilson, Simon, Peragine, Smith and Redfearn, LLP, and Maura Wood, Senior Program Manager, Coastal Louisiana Restoration, will present on a history of oyster lease lawsuits and what we can learn from those experiences for more effective future restoration.

5:15-6:00p “A Social Justice PoBoy …. dressed”.  The panel will consist of Baker/Miller Graison Gill of Bellegarde Bakery,  Chef Mina Seck of Continental Provisions,  Musician Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and moderator Gary Granata of Slow Food New Orleans.    The panel will discuss how a simple sandwich that was created to feed striking rail workers became the iconic New Orleans sandwich, delving into the social implications of how a sandwich that was created to support the plight of the working poor is now served in restaurants that are not affordable for people struggling to earn a living.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY STAGE AT THE OLD U.S. MINT

10:30a Kinfolks Brass Band leads a secondline from the Old U.S. Mint grounds through the French Market to the River

11:45a-12:45p Pepe Coloma

1-2p Fredy Omar Con Su Banda

2:15-3:15p National Park Service Centennial Band

3:30-4:30p Bruce 'Sunpie' Barnes & the Louisiana Sunspots

5-6:30p Honey Island Swamp Band

WALKING TOURS TO CRESCENT PARK: BEGIN & END AT OLD U.S. MINT

12p, 2p, and 4p TOURS ARE APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES AND WILL BEGIN AT THE OLD U.S. MINT JAZZ PARK VISITOR CENTER FIRST FLOOR GIFT SHOP, 400 ESPLANADE AVENUE, WHERE ATTENDEES CAN SIGN UP IN ADVANCE FOR THE TOURS. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. EACH TOUR LIMITED TO 20 PEOPLE. The tours will cover the geographic impact of the river, cultural and commercial impacts of the Lower Mississippi, and the history of the peoples that lived along it. The tours will end at the Old U.S. Mint.

DOWNRIVER FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP AT CRESCENT PARK *$150 FEE–REGISTRATION REQUIRED*

10a-12p – Festival Photography Lecture – Location TBA

12p-3:30p – Festival Grounds Walk and Shoot with Zack Smith

3:30-4:30p – Editing Lecture and Wrap Up – Location TBA

This festival photography workshop is an exciting and informative visual immersion into how to photograph the faces, food, and action of a New Orleans cultural festival. Your instructor, Zack Smith, is one of New Orleans’ most respected festival and cultural photographers having been on staff at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, French Quarter Fest, and Satchmo Fest. Learn with him how to navigate and document this exciting photography experience at Crescent Park’s Downriver Festival located at the Old U.S. Mint and French Market!

This class is open to all lovers of festival and music photography. We will cover how to get the most out of your mirrorless or Digital SLR. We will also cover how to get the best shots, find the best locations, and make every moment count with any camera. In addition, you will learn the best ways to download, archive, keyword and tag your images for proper storage.

http://www.frenchmarket.org/event/downriver-festival/