Colourful costumes are part of the allure of the New Orleans Jazz Festival. -- Photos by Ian Robertson, SUN

Music lovers from around the world will be heading south again this month to the jazz centre of the universe. Despite being washed out by rain on the opening day and a tornado threat the second day, last year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival attracted crowds that topped 50,000 at times.

And that was just for featured stars such as Shaggy and Carlos Santana, who played on open stages at Fair Grounds Race Course as drizzle, purple skies and falling temperatures threatened.

This year the 36th-annual festival will have 12 performance stages running simultaneously between April 22-24 and from April 28 to May 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on grounds as big as Exhibition Place. In addition to the music, the 11-day jazzfest offers a wide variety of food, mostly Louisiana style.

Lining up to taste "mudbugs" -- homegrown crawfish, also called crayfish -- crawfish cakes, sweet potato-crusted catfish, seafood gumbo, jambalaya or a hushpuppy under a warm spring sun is a treat you'll never forget.

There are endless parades, with young and old participants wearing colourful costumes and providing music-on-the-move as they wend their way through tent booths offering local arts and crafts, and CDs of the wide range of music featured at the festival.

Grammy-winning superstar Natalie Cole will kick off the event in "An Unforgettable Evening" fundraiser on April 21 at the Fairmont Hotel.

Among thousands of entertainers booked to perform at the fair grounds are James Taylor, Nelly, Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame, B.B. King, Isaac Hayes, Elvis Costello, the Black Crowes, Randy Newman, Smokie Norful, Buddy Guy, Shirley Horn, evangelist Shirley Caesar, Pete Fountain, Victor Manuelle, Galactic, Zap Mama, Tina's ex-husband Ike Turner, Los Lonely Boys, the Doc Cheatham Memorial Jazz Band featuring Nicholas Payton, Banu Gibson & New Orleans Hot Jazz, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Buckwheat Zydeco.

For the first time, organizers are preparing a stage dedicated to some of New Orleans' most vibrant music and most venerable cultural traditions -- including the sights and sounds of brass bands, Mardi Gras Indians, and Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs.

"Any music you can trace to or from that hub is music we've worked with renewed vigor to infuse into the party," said Quint Davis, the festival's producer-director.

That includes gospel, jazz, blues, funk, rock, Cajun, Zydeco, Latin, R&B, jam, Mardi Gras, Hip Hop, African, "and a whole lotta music you can't put into any one category," he said.

In addition to the fair grounds site, many of the headlining performers plus others will appear in theatres, music halls and in small, intimate clubs such as the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro. It's on Frenchmen St., in the heart of the old French Quarter, right across the street from The Spotted Cat.

That area is a must-see, with its narrow, sometimes cobblestone streets dating back 200 years. Every night, people gather to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells coming from eateries that range from small, modest cafes to multi-star restaurants.

Tickets for the Heritage Fair can be purchased at the Festival's website, nojazzfest.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets including ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-488-5252 and in Lousiana, at 504-522-5555.

A list of hotels offering Jazz Fest rates can be found at nojazzfest.com.

Singer Shaggy helped draw thousands to last year's fest.

Info booth staffer Jim Bollard got decked out in peanut earrings for the occasion.