Atlanta Jazz Festival brings out thousands to Piedmont Park

With the sun shining, music playing, and food and drinks flowing, it made for the perfect weekend for the 45th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival.

The three-day event had families bringing out their tents and umbrellas to gather up as much shade as they could under the hot summer sun. As temps heated up, so did the talent taking the stage! Kebbi Williams and The Wolfpack kicked off the festival on Saturday afternoon, while Kenny Barron closed out the festivities on Monday evening.

The music wasn’t the only festival attraction -- a variety of vendors lined the park as well. Patrons had their choice of food and drink options, as well as shopping opportunities, with the chance to buy clothes, accessories, art and much more. “I’m new to Atlanta, but I hear that the festival is basically the unofficial start to summer around here,” said festival goer, Chelsea Monroe. “Of course the Jazz music is great but it’s so much more. Yes, things have been opening back up for some time now, but to able to gather like this, after what we went through and still are sort of going through with the pandemic, is a blessing.”

While the annual celebration of Jazz and all of its facets begins in April, the celebration closes out each Memorial Day weekend, with an outdoor festival starring Jazz artists from all over the world. The Atlanta Jazz Festival is said to be one of the largest free jazz festivals in the U.S. Every year, thousands come together to celebrate culture and art with hopes of exposing the audience to the history, variety and heritage of Jazz music.

The Atlanta Jazz Festival may be over this year but you can still learn all about them and make sure you’re in the loop for next year by visiting their website, atljazzfest.com.