FREE: The Atlanta Jazz Festival wraps up on Labor Day at Piedmont Park

 

The Atlanta Jazz Festival is back live and in person in 2021, after going virtual last year.

The iconic event is one of the largest FREE jazz fests in the nation, and it’s happening Labor Day Weekend at Piedmont Park. All the details are below.

Don’t miss the fun and excitement at the annual Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park, one of the country’s largest FREE jazz festivals.

It takes place on Sunday, September 5th and Labor Day Monday, September 6th.

Over the years the Atlanta Jazz Festival has been backdrop to musical legends such as Miles Davis, Dizzie Gillespie and Nina Simone.

The event is a bit smaller this year, with fewer acts and just two stages.

The festival includes an Artist Market, featuring arts and crafts, collectibles, vintage items, and local goods.

There will also be plenty of food vendors throughout the festival.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. both days.

Both stages are close to the gate located on 10th Street at Charles Allen Dr.
View the festival map

The festival musical line-up

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Oak Hill Stage

• 1:30 p.m. – Pasquale Grasso Trio
• 3:30 p.m. – Yuko Mabuchi
• 5:30 p.m. – Alexey Marti
• 7:30 p.m. – Miguel Zenon

Meadow Stage

• 1 p.m. – Karla Harris
• 3 p.m. – Ryan Kilgore
• 5 p.m. – Jazzmeia Horn
• 7 p.m. – Ron Carter
• 9 p.m. – Patti Austin

Monday, September 6, 2021

Oak Hill Stage

• 1:30 p.m. – Brenda Nicole Moorer
• 3:30 p.m. – Logan Richardson
• 5:30 p.m. – Irreversible Entanglements
• 7:30 p.m. – Mike Phillips

Meadow Stage

• 1 p.m. – Isaiah Sharkey
• 3 p.m. – Laurin Talese
• 5 p.m. – Theo Croker
• 7 p.m. – Sean Jones
• 9 p.m. – Archie Shepp

Get more info on the festival website

Getting there and parking

Want to ride your bike to the festival?
There will be a FREE bike valet station located on 10th Street near Park Tavern — and a scooter station just across the street. Note that you cannot bring a scooter into the festival.

If you live in one of the BeltLine-connected neighborhoods, it’s an easy walk along the Eastside Trail to Piedmont Park.

If you don’t want to be towed or ticketed, PLEASE don’t park illegally. Your best bet is to leave the car at home and take MARTA to the festival.

MARTA has an excellent, detailed guide with step-by-step walking directions from the rail stations, as well as the bus routes that get you closer to the park.  View it online.

It’s an easy  15 to 20 minute walk to Piedmont Park from either Arts Center Station or Midtown Station.

You can park your car for FREE at the following rail stations:

• Lindbergh
• Lenox
• Brookhaven
• Chamblee
• Doraville
• Dunwoody
• Sandy Springs
• North Springs
• College Point
• East Point
• Lakewood
• West End

TIP:  Purchase a Breeze Card in advance if you don’t have one. If you do, add a round trip fare online, so you don’t have to wait at a fare machine. Remember, trains run every 20 minutes on the weekend. The MARTA ON  THE GO app can put train schedules in your pocket!

Meanwhile, the Jazz Festival is hosting a series of free virtual jazz talks called In the Tradition. They are scheduled to run on select Tuesdays through August 31, 2021. The 18-episode series will feature jazz artists being interviewed by local Atlanta jazz and art leaders.

You have multiple ways to view the live video interviews:

• The Jazz Festival website
• The Festival’s Facebook page
• The Festival’s YouTube channel

In the Tradition programming schedule

These are the remaining programs in 2021. All shows will go live at 7:30 p.m.

• August 17 – Jazzmeia Horn, interviewed by Gail O’Neill
• August 24 – Sean Jones/Trumpet, interviewed by Dwight Andrews
• August 31 – Ron Carter/Bass, interviewed by Carl Anthony

FREE jazz on MARTA Mondays

MARTA Mondays will feature FREE live Jazz at a different MARTA transit station each Monday afternoon in August. Concerts are two hours long.

• Monday, August 9th at Decatur Station – Don Moors & Then Some
• Monday, August 16th at West End Station – Anonymous Da Band
• Monday, August 23rd at Five Point Station – Gritz and Jelly Butter
• Monday, August 30th at Midtown Station – Melvin Jones Music LLC

You may also be interested in:

• The Dragon Con Parade in downtown Atlanta
• The Piedmont Park Arts Festival
• The Summer Shade Festival in Grant Park
• Doggy Con Pageant & Costume Contest in Woodruff Park
• Marietta Art in the Park Festival on Labor Day Weekend
• Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park

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