If you're anything like me, you will need a crash course before reading this article. NFT, IRL, web2, web3, are jumbles of letters and numbers put together in a pattern that mean absolutely nothing! What are they, you might be asking yourself? *puts on my dunce cap*
Let's break them down: NFT= non-fungible tokens, IRL= in real life, web2= what the current world wide web is, web3= what the world wide web will be in the near future. How does all this fit into you, to our local community, to the world?
Well, that's exactly what Fresh Mint Fest is for, and I'm not talking about the herb used in a mojito! "If you think web3 is just about crypto and JPGs, you should dig deeper quickly. This tech will be a significant part of our future touching our lives in every way, and now is the time our voices can be loudest in shaping what web3 will become. As we collectively build to benefit our diverse community of creators and change-makers in New Orleans, we are creating the models that will serve those alike, around the world." Cheria Scaffidi, co-founder and CEO of FMF explains.
FESTIVAL
Well now that we got the NFT for Dummies intro course completed, we can focus on what the Fresh Mint Fest is. The Fresh Mint Fest is the newest festival in New Orleans that focuses on the web3 platform via immersive experiences in this new digital era. The festival website states, "New Orleans' distinct identity & charm nurtures community building and universal inclusion, both locally and globally, while being thoughtful of the relationship between economy and social impact."
The Fest will be held at three historical venues in the city of New Orleans, located immediately around and within walking distance to the French Market and the Old U.S. Mint, and will evolve both the lives of local cultural bearers and the city's economy.
This festival is a must for any industry leaders and local tech-savvy/passionate individuals. There is a gigabyte of partners involved in the creation of the fest: Big Freedia; partners: One Eyed Jacks, Frenchmen Hotel, Midnight Revival, French Market Corp., New Orleans and Co., Idea Village, Nieux Society, GNO Inc., Gripnr, Scale New Orleans, and Krewe of Boo.
In this "conference meets festival," it will be compiled with speaking panels, art, presentations, demonstrations, activations, role playing, live entertainment, and live minting. It hopes to elevate the experience from the current web2 and transports the user into web3 where it empowers user agency. This is done through community-building IRL (see that crash course did help!).
Patrick Comer is the co-founder of Fresh Mint Fest and said it "is planting a giant web3 flag here in New Orleans to let the world know that we are at the front of the pack when it comes to web3 innovation and this is where you come to find out."
The tentative schedule for the fest is as follows:
Friday 10/21 9-5pm:
One Eyed Jacks: speaking panels, art exhibits and lounges
French Market: projects and presentations, demos, and activations
Midnight Revival: gaming (role-playing tabletop to VR)
Friday 10/21 5-7pm:
Midnight Revival: Happy Hour
Friday 10/21 8pm-2am
One Eyed Jacks: web3 Big Freedia performance, live minting, art exhibits, party
Saturday 10/22 10am-2pm
Midnight Revival: Brunch
Saturday 10/22 6:30-8pm:
Krewe of Boo Halloween Parade
For more info about Fresh Mint Fest, visit freshmintfest.xyz
