Seven years ago, local New Orleans musicians Alex McMurray of the band Tin Men and his buddy Chaz Leary were lamenting the difficulty of securing a place on stage at the city’s annual Jazz Fest. So, motivated by a mix of frustration and inspiration, they decided to throw their own musical gathering, dubbed ChazFest. Held last week on May 2, the backyard Bywater event drew music enthusiasts from around America. For seven hours, grassroots acts of all sorts rocked the two small stages, playing to packed crowds.

For the second year in a row, we asked photographer Michael Harlan Turkell to document the tipples, toppers, and mint-flavored merriment of Derby Day at Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan. Click here to see the photos.