Loyola University Partners with Freret Street Festival to Perform in, Help Produce the Popular Annual Event

The School of Music and Theatre Professions is returning to the Freret Street Festival - this time wearing a number of hats - as students, professors and alumni join together to work behind the scenes and on the stage.

The annual art, music and food festival, which will take place March 30 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., runs the length of Freret Street from Napoleon to Valmont avenues.

Loyola is returning as one of the festival's sponsors, and many of the school's student artists, professors and alumni are performing during the free event, now in its 24th year. The performers will include Kota Dosa, Crave, Cupid, Justjocin, Geske, Jade Robbins, Gabe Parsons, Tuller, Kristin Diable and Julser.

The stage headliner is Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, which is one of the city's most popular bands. Some of Loyola's talented musicians will collaborate and perform with the band to close out the day.

Mike Twillman, who teaches Loyola's "Festival Production" course, is responsible for securing the music for the popular, one-day event. His students handle booking the on-stage performances, as well as back-of-house and festival production responsibilities, he said. In addition, Loyola's student-run sound production team, NOLA Sound & Visuals, will be coordinating sound for the stages, Twillman said.

"Freret Fest presents a terrific opportunity for our students, and has helped expand their professional learning and performance experiences," said Kate Duncan, director of the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the Conrad N. Hilton Chair in Music Industry, and Jonathan McHugh, Hilton-Baldridge Eminent Scholar/Chair in Music Industry Studies.

In addition to three live music stages, the festival will have 200 vendors offering food, collectibles, jewelry and art. About 20,000 adults and families typically attend Freret Fest, from 75 local and regional zip codes along the Gulf of Mexico.

About the Freret Street Festival

The Freret Street Festival began in 1998 as a neighborhood celebration and homeownership fair. Since 2010, Market Festivals, Inc., the same organization that produces the monthly Freret Market, has produced the event. The Rotary Club of New Orleans Riverbend, a community-based, volunteer service organization, has operated Market Festivals, Inc., since 2019.

About the College of Music and Media

The College of Music and Media is comprised of two schools - the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the School of Communication and Design. Students who choose to study in the college prepare for careers in music, theatre, music industry, design, fine art, filmmaking, strategy, mass media and more.