NEW ORLEANS - Heavy downpours, punctuated by lightning and thunder, soaked the start of the second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the premier music festival in New Orleans.
    
The rain and mud on Thursday though did not dampen the spirits of many music lovers - some went barefoot and others dressed in rubber boots and rain gear - who crammed together in messy fields and under tents to enjoy the variety of musical acts and genres.
    
By mid-afternoon, the sun poked through the clouds to the relief of festival-goers.
    
The headliners on Thursday included rocker Elvis Costello, rapper Flo Rida and the American roots band the Tedeschi Trucks Band, who were to play with Jimmie Vaughan and Billy F. Gibbons.
    
The weather forecast was better for Friday and Saturday.