2024 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL
Produced by acclaimed jazz education and performance organization JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, the Montclair Jazz Festival is the most popular jazz festival in the greater NYC area that’s free to the public, and one of the largest jazz festivals in the country. This year’s 9/14 Downtown Jamboree returns to Montclair on the heels of the success of the 2023 edition of the festival, which drew the largest crowd yet with over 20,000 attendees.
Curated by festival music director, 9-time GRAMMY Award-winning bassist, @ChristianMcBrideTV with stage hosts, comedian Alonzo Boden and SiriusXM Jazz on-air personality Andromeda Turre, the grand finale event is held along nearly half a mile of downtown Montclair’s Bloomfield Avenue commercial corridor, closed to vehicular traffic with hundreds of retailers and restaurant storefronts. The event is jam-packed with great music and activities for the whole family and spotlights internationally-acclaimed headliners, regional favorites and emerging talent on multiple stages, 170+ food & artisan vendors in the Rao’s Homemade Marketplace, and the Family Jazz Discovery Zone in Wellmont Arts Plaza.
New this year, after eight hours of live music, the Montclair Jazz Festival transforms into a giant 15th Anniversary Celebration Block Party as DJ Brother Mister (AKA Christian McBride) and special guest, New Jersey’s own DJ Prince Hakim take over the Downtown Jamboree stage for a dynamic funk & soul dance party.