Coast-to-coast party on first big weekend of 2008

After all the buildup and early-season preliminaries, the unofficial opening weekend of the 2008 outdoor festival season is finally here. Among New Orleans Jazzfest and Festival International in Louisiana, Coachella in southern California, MerleFest in North Carolina and McDowell Mountain in Scottsdale AZ, all running this weekend in a coast-to-coast arc across the southern United States, happy festival-goers are going to be shaking off their winter blues at their first musical blowout of 2008.

The biggest of the big is New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which runs seven days over the next two weekends with a panoply of big name attractions and overwhelming number of side-stage acts. Meanwhile the rock mecca for the week is Empire Polo Club in Indio CA, when legions of fans from across the western U.S. will converge for a first look at the big rock acts playing on this summer's expanded circuit. MerleFest is probably the single-most important event of the year in the Americana category, with roots music aficionados from around the world now arriving in picturesque Wilkesboro NC for the Thursday opening.

Our other two picks for the weekend are Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette LA, for one of the best world-music events going, this one focused on music from international French-speaking cultures. McDowell Mountain gets a mention for its nifty blues-rock lineup and sublime Arizona springtime climate.

So how is the weather shaping up at the key festival locations? Louisiana and North Carolina are both looking at scattered thundershowers. In Indio and Scottsdale, there is nothing but sun—highs at Coachella will be 100° F, McDowell a touch cooler.

Whatever the weather brings, faces will be smiling and toes will be tapping as hundreds of thousands of festival attendees enjoy their first fix of 2008. Let the party begin.