The number one thing you need when you go to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is a plan. Sure you need tickets, money, a good ear and sunscreen, but without a plan you will probably miss at least part of the acts that you really want to see. Get out those schedules and mark them up. Either head over to the official site and print out you copy or grab a copy of any number of the local news magazines/papers. Gambit, New Alternatives, the Times Picayune and New Orleans Magazine have all had various Jazz Fest inserts recently and are available across the city. I found a Gambit in a local coffee shop (thanks to the better half) and have pulled their extended insert out. At the top is a great map of the Fairground and below is an easy chart of each weekend at the Fest. You can highlight or circle you favorite artists on the day that you'll be attending's chart and then check out the map to see how to get around. Usually my plan is to walk the racetrack circle all day while stoppin to check out the art, buy some music and posters (hopefully), and listen to whatever sounds good. Then at the end of the day i like to grab a seat near the back of the major act's stage. Last year that seat wasn't good enough for my friends so we made our way through the crowd to within 10 rows of the front. No assigned seats makes movement easy, but some planners will sit in front of their favorite stage at gate opening and spread out a blanket with large flag to claim territory. What's your plan? Only a couple days left to figure it out so sit down during dinner tonight to work it out.