New Orleans North slated for September

The annual New Orleans North festival is planned for September, a month that may prove to be a big one for summer events rescheduled because of COVID-19.

“Sept. 11 is the date that we are setting for it in hope that things will be lifted by then,” Jen Howard, president of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said Monday.

New Orleans North usually takes place in June, and the chamber plans to return to that time in 2022.

But for 2021, September looks like the best month available because of social distancing restrictions still in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

“There’s a lot of planning involved, and the state isn’t even issuing any permits yet,” Howard said.

Howard said the chamber wants a safe event but one in which a night outdoors will still be inviting.

“In early September, you still have an opportunity for great weather,” she said. “More and more festivals are going to be happening, and they’re going to push them back to September. We wanted to be one of the first to announce.”

The chamber lost one band that was already booked for another event in September.

The Joliet event creates a New Orleans setting downtown. The chamber has begun the process of contacting vendors, some of which were strictly in the outdoor festival business.

“We have to make sure that they’re all in business,” Howard said. “Hopefully, they are.”