NEW ORLEANS -- Mid-City's Bayou Boogaloo music festival will charge an admission fee for the first time in its 12-year history, but only after 3 p.m.
Attendees who arrive after 3 p.m. on the festival's opening Friday, May 18, will pay $5. On Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, the admission price after 3 p.m. will be $10.
Children 12 and under will still be admitted for free.
Organizers instituted the charge to hedge against bad weather. The festival was hit with heavy rain last year and though overall attendance was still good, beverage and concession sales took a big hit.
“The economics of a totally free festival are challenging and depend on the changing realities of weather and sponsors,” says festival founder Jared Zeller. “To offset the substantial costs of production, infrastructure and security, the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo will now be Free Until 3."