The 2017 Jazz and Heritage Festival kicked off Friday morning at the Fair Grounds.Thousands of people from across the world will pack into the Fair Grounds to eat some of the city's best food and to hear music from artists like Nas with the Soul Rebels, Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder, Corinne Bailey Rae, Kermit Ruffins, Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr. and many more.The Cultural Exchange Pavillion is bigger than in years past The fest will celebrate the songs and sounds of Cuba this year.With so much going on, crews begin working several weeks before to make sure everything is set up on time. Site director Tague Richardson said he starts setup a few weeks before the crews, marking where everything goes with flags. He said the other setup teams take over after that.“I have a team that places trailers … a team that does nothing but do steps, a team that does nothing but do booths, a team that builds stages, an electrical team, a plumbing team,” said Richardson. “Then the art comes in and dresses everything up. So it's a very well-choreographed project.”Storms on the second weekend of last year’s festival left the Fair Grounds looking like a river, then a mud pit. With the possibility of Mother Nature letting us have it again on the first Sunday of the 2017 festival, many wonder what, if any, changes have been made to the Fair Grounds to improve drainage.Richardson said it's something that organizers work year after year to improve.“Every year I come out and I do a little bit more blacktopping, trying to get another T-shirt booth or beer booth or something on the blacktop. And as I do that, I pick up a lot of spoils, they call them, from the dirt that comes from that. I use that and create high spots and ridges so that we can contour and get the water out of here quicker,” said Richardson.While people are having their fest fun, they should keep in mind that parking will be limited in the area near the Fair Grounds and parking enforcement officers will be out ticketing and towing. To avoid stress looking for spots or frustration when you get a ticket or worse, officials are encouraging people to take advantage of other transportation options. RTA bus and streetcar service will get people within walking distance of the Fair Grounds. Pedicab and taxicab stands are located throughout the area.Uber and Lyft are also options. But to keep traffic moving, city officials ask passengers to follow their drivers' pickup instructions, which will likely be to meet outside restricted traffic zones.A Jazz Fest Express shuttle service will be offered from 10:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. The shuttle will make continuous trips to and from the Sheraton Hotel, the gray line lighthouse next to Jax Brewery and from Wisner Boulevard lot. Call 504-569-1401 or 1-800-535-7786 for more information. Cyclists should know that bike parking is available by the Gentilly pedestrian entrance. Vehicles that are towed will be at the impound lot at 400 N. Claiborne Ave. in New Orleans. The lot is open from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week. For route-planning purposes, don't forget that the Wisner Overpass is still closed. Click here for information on Jazz Fest access for patrons with disabilities.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!