WBRZ - Baton Rouge

NEW ORLEANS - The lineup for this year's French Quarter Festival, one of the largest free music festivals in the country, was announced Thursday.

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, blues singer Deacon John, clarinetist Pete Fountain and Cajun fiddler Amanda Shaw are among the talent lined up for this year's show.

The festival is in its 29th year and will be held April 12-15 on more than a dozen stages strung throughout the historic French Quarter including Jackson Square, the French Market and the grassy park space along the Mississippi River.

There is no admission, but vendors sell cocktails and Louisiana eats like jambalaya and gumbo to subsidize the event's costs. Private and corporate sponsors pay for the musicians.

According to the festival's website, an estimated 500,000 people attended the event in 2011.