ATLANTA, April 3, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- When Popeyes(r) Chicken & Biscuits, a division of AFC Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq:AFCE), signed on as a major sponsor of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival back in December, cheers could be heard up and down the bayou. Because of Popeyes' commitment, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is adding a new day to its signature event for the first time in more than a decade. Jazz Fest's new opening day -- Thursday, April 24 -- will kick off the annual springtime event showcasing the music, food, crafts and culture of Louisiana. Fats Domino is the headliner for the day.
With the addition of the new Popeyes-sponsored day, the Louisiana Heritage Fair at the Fair Grounds Race Course will expand to eight days and the overall Festival to 11 days. The Festival's evening concerts, educational workshops and opening night gala will continue to complement the Heritage Fair. The 2003 festival dates are Thursday, April 24 - Sunday, May 4. In addition to sponsoring the new opening day of Jazz Fest, Popeyes will sponsor the impressive Blues Tent and sell Popeyes crawfish etouffee at the Heritage Fair in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Joe Scafido, chief marketing officer for Popeyes, is excited about the partnership between Popeyes and the Jazz Fest. "Popeyes is a great New Orleans institution almost as old as the Festival itself," he said. "Bringing these two together to promote the rich culture of our shared New Orleans heritage to the world is a terrific opportunity we couldn't pass up."
In addition to Fats Domino, who will inaugurate the new opening day, performers on April 24 include Lucinda Williams, Allen Toussaint Jazz Project, Vernel Bagneris Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, Ivan Neville and Louisiana's LeRoux.
Tickets for the 2003 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival went on sale Friday, February 21. Jazz Fest has listed a limited number of hotel rooms at special rates at www.nojazzfest.com, the official website of the festival, which presents up-to-the-minute information and much more.
Popeyes was founded in New Orleans 30 years ago and now has over 1,672 restaurants in 42 states, 22 countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (with 69 locations in the New Orleans area). Popeyes is a division of AFC Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq:AFCE), the franchiser and operator of 4,072 restaurants, bakeries and cafes in the United States, Puerto Rico and 33 foreign countries under the brand names of Popeyes(r) Chicken & Biscuits, Church's Chicken(tm), Cinnabon(r), Seattle's Best Coffee(r) and Torrefazione Italia(r) Coffee. AFC's primary objective is to be the world's Franchisor of Choice(r) by offering investment opportunities in highly recognizable brands and exceptional franchisee support systems and services. AFC Enterprises(r) had system-wide sales of approximately $2.6 billion in 2001 and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.afce.com.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, is the proud presenter of the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The Foundation uses proceeds from the festival to develop and support special projects designed to preserve and perpetuate the area's rich music and cultural heritage. For information on the Foundation and its programs, visit www.nojhf.org or call 504/522-4786.