French Quarter - Drum Circle with the Wesley Phillips

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

  • Every week on Saturday at 10:30 AM from May 02, 2026 to May 30, 2026
  • Free

The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park 

and the 

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve 

present a

Drum Circle

led b

Wesley Phillips

Saturday at 10:30 am

At the National Park Service French Quarter visitor center 

419 Decatur St, New Orleans 

Join us for an interractive drum & dance circle as we honor those who came before us. Play drums and learn about our cultural history and the legacy of Congo Square in New Orleans.

Wesley Phillips is New Orleans born and raised. He began playing drums with the Desire Poets after hearing the Last Poets records during the Black Panther movement in the Ninth Ward. Phillips has studied and performed with Kidd Jordan, Sun Ra, Energy Funk Band, Desire Community Choir, Casa Samba, African Dance Groups; Free Spirit, Culu, Nkafu, and Sacred Dance Ministry, and Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors. Phillips is a poet, author, drum maker, teacher, and designer with 50 years as The Ultimate Sideman. In 2013, he wrote and produced The Spirit of the Drum in Senegal, West Africa. In 2017, this production marked his Jazz Fest debut as a band leader.

This drum circle is open to all ages. No experience required.

This program is free and open to the public.

More information

Fees

Free and open to the public

Location

National Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130. (Near the statue of Bienville.)

Latitude and Longitude 29.954800, -90.064754

Schedule

Days:

Every week on Saturday

Dates:

May 02, 2026 to May 30, 2026

Time:

10:30 AM

Duration:

1 hour

10:30 to 11:30 am Central Time

Event Type

  • Cultural/Craft Demonstration
  • Performance
  • Talk
Tags: jean lafitte national historical park and preserve, new orleans jazz national historical park, new orleans jazz, new orleans, live music, french quarter, drums, congo square, new orleans culture, african american culture, african diaspora, french quarter visitor center