We didn’t think it could get any hotter in New Orleans, but Essence Fest will bring up the heat July 1-3, 2011. The annual music festival celebrates contemporary African-American music and culture and is the largest of its kind. In the past, award-winning artists include Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, Chris Rock, and Mary J. Blige have taken the stage in the New Orleans Superdome.

This year, New Orleans is excited to welcome Usher, Charlie Wilson, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Boyz II Men, and Nephew Tommy as they headline at the 2011 Essence Music Festival.

After the festival, join the Big Easy in celebrating Independence Day. The Crescent City always puts on a firework show off of the Mississippi. Get a close-up view of this spectacle on New Orleans’ Paddlewheeler Creole Queen or the Steamboat Natchez. Just a streetcar ride from all this excitement is the Grand Victorian, which can provide you and your family and friends the perfect place to stay while in New Orleans.