Louisiana Derby Infield Fest - get your lawn chairs and enjoy a great concert

By: Chris Waddington, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
January 18, 2013

Tickets for the inaugural Louisiana Derby Infield Festival go on sale Jan 21. The Fair Grounds Race Course announced plans for the outdoor festival in November. Tied to the 100th running of the Louisiana Derby on March 30, the festival centers on a concert by popular New Orleans band Cowboy Mouth.

The festival audience will be the first since the 1930s to watch races from the Fair Grounds infield.

Fair Grounds officials describe the planned festival as “a lawn chair and blanket event with a casual atmosphere.”

A fleet of New Orleans food trucks and pop-up restaurants will set up at the site. About 15 vendors have been confirmed, including local favorites La Cocinita, Linda the Yakamein Lady and Woody’s Fish Tacos.

For horse racing fans, the climax of the day will be the Derby which features a $1 million purse --- the largest in Louisiana. Horses that perform well often go on to compete in Triple Crown events.

---

General admission tickets for Infield Festival are $25. VIP options are also available. For full details go to the Fair Grounds website. Ticket sales begin at 9 a.m. Monday.

---