Located in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is known for its horse racing events and, as its name suggests, a casino. However, based on recent user experiences, it appears to be a premier destination for much more, particularly its significant role as the long-standing host of the iconic Jazz Fest.
Many visitors primarily flock to Fair Grounds for the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Reviewers consistently praise the lively atmosphere, diverse music genres, and abundant food and art offerings during this event. Attendees, some with decades of experience, emphasize the "great environment for live music, good food and art of all kinds." The festival provides "fabulous tunes" and is a truly "memorable moment," with many expressing a strong desire to return year after year. The sheer scale and popularity of Jazz Fest at this venue clearly make it a major draw for thousands.
While Jazz Fest takes center stage for many, Fair Grounds also hosts exciting racing events. Beyond traditional horse races, one reviewer particularly enjoyed "exotic animal races," highlighting the venue as a "fun place" suitable for family outings. A visit on Thanksgiving is even suggested for a festive experience, recommending patrons "wear your best hat!" This indicates the venue's versatility in offering diverse entertainment beyond its main festival season.
The culinary offerings at Fair Grounds receive varied feedback:
Service experiences can be inconsistent. While one reviewer lauded a "food runner outstanding," another encountered a "slow waiter" who even "wanted cash tips," leading to a less-than-ideal impression of service quality. Visitors should also be aware of a flat $5 fee added to any admission price, which some find "annoying."
Ticket pricing for major events like Jazz Fest has also become a point of contention. While the festival historically offered consistent pricing, recent years have seen significant price hikes for headline acts (e.g., tickets reportedly jumping to $200 for a band like The Rolling Stones, compared to $60 for previous major acts like the Red Hot Chili Peppers). This has left some long-time attendees feeling nostalgic for the "old jazz festival" and its more accessible pricing.
Despite Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots being identified with a primary type of "casino," none of the provided user reviews elaborate on or even mention the casino facilities or gaming experience. This suggests that for these recent visitors, the racing events and especially the large-scale festivals (like Jazz Fest) are the predominant draw and experience. Potential visitors primarily interested in the casino aspect may need to seek out additional information, as it was not a focus for these particular reviewers.
Lenny was there, playing some fabulous tunes at Jazz Fest 2025—music and food everywhere! Such a memorable moment. The 2026 date got locked in just the day before. Now I’m curious about the Monterey Jazz Fest in September… but honestly, I really hope to come back here again.
This is a fun place that has some fun events. Thoroughly enjoyed the exotic animal races. So much fun for the family. Going out on Thanksgiving is also a good idea. Wear your best hat!Be aware that "fees" of 5 dollars are added to any admission price. Charging fees like this is annoying for me personally. Also, I would advise against prepaying for drinks to get them cheaper as those drinks are absolutely terrible.Advice: Between races walk across the street to the Seahorse Saloon for affordable and delicious drinks.
The food was actually pretty good! The waiter was so slow. Waiting 20 mins for new drinks and then told us he wanted cash tips! Really?Honestly thought he wasn’t good at all.The food runner outstanding!
Not here for horse racing, here for Jazzfest. This is a great environment for live music, good food and art of all kinds. We have been attending for more than 25 years for me and 33 for my husband. Many genres of music. Come for the music, stay for the people watching....
Went to the jazz festival and had a great time and food was great as always but was very disappointed with the crawfish bread I brought and got 3 of the 1 for me and 1 for my two friends that came with me and got it at the Panorama Food stand and whis I still had a picture of it but all 3 of the had 4 crawfish on them and sorry you going to charge $10 to $14 it should have a good amount of crawfish in them personally I don't think they should be allowed back next year because I think either they are just ripping people off or just don't take pride in the food they put out if I go next year that will be one booth I will never eat at again but we still had a great time and one other thing I think is wrong now with the jazz fest is when a band like The Rolling Stones played they raised the price of the tickets to $200 and back in the day it was a honor and privilege to play at the jazz fest, about 10 or so years ago the Red Hot Chili Peppers the price of the ticket was the same as a ticket for any other day and it was $60 and it's just sad to see them doing this now a days I miss the old jazz festival 🤬😡😞