NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The 24th annual Essence Festival returns to New Orleans next year after the official 4th of July holiday. Organizers on Wednesday said the dates for the 2018 event are July 5-8. The 2017 festival drew more than 470,000 attendees to its nightly concert series inside the Superdome and the free workshops and entertainment at New Orleans' convention center.Read more on NewsOK.com