The highly anticipated Germantown Jazz Festival – curated by longtime Jazz musician, holistic health practitioner, and founder of the Community Education and Action Project, Khadijah Renee – will take to the stages and streets across the community from April 25 to 27, offering a tribute to the Jazz genre and its cultural significance in Philadelphia.

“This three-day festival is the first of its kind, but it’s a continuation of the legacy [of Jazz] that Germantown neighbors have established,” Renee said.

For Khadijah Renee, the goal of the festival is to “bring together various, diverse factions in the Germantown community and surrounding areas,” and to “have people forget about their problems while receiving the healing that occurs when you listen to good Jazz music.”

Made possible through essential sponsors like the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Artcinia, the large-scale event will span three days across numerous locations in Germantown. Here’s a look at the type of vendors, performances, and activities that will be offered on each day throughout the Jazz-filled weekend.

To register for any of the events you’ll see below, visit the official Germantown Jazz Festival website to purchase tickets.

Day One: Friday, April 25, 5:30-10 PM

The opening day will be held at the Germantown Friends Meeting House, where an opening reception and a speaker’s period will be open to city officials and key donors who have supported the festival. The main concert will run from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. with five acts in total.

General admission for the concert is $25, while VIP admission is $50 and includes access to a designated area closer to the stage.

Some parking will be available in a parking lot on the Germantown Friends Campus on Coulter Street, in parking lots behind the campus on Schoolhouse Lane between Greene Street and Germantown Avenue, and in a parking lot located at the intersection of Armat and Germantown Avenue.

5:30 p.m. – Germantown Friends Youth Jazz Ensemble
6:00 p.m.– Alfie Pollitt Trio
7:00 p.m. – Jim Bolton Trio
8:00 p.m.- The Mike Boone Group
9:00 p.m. – Robert Landham Quartet (Headliner)

Day Two: Saturday, April 26, Noon to 10 p.m.

Day two will bring three locations to the Jazz Festival. The day will kick off at noon, with most festivities taking place at Vernon Park and additional events held at Maplewood Mall. There will be performances across two stages in Vernon Park, with each lasting approximately 40 minutes.

A wide range of vendors will be at both Vernon Park and Maplewood Mall, and visitors are encouraged to walk back and forth to explore the many options.

Visitors are asked to use the nearby street parking along Chelten Avenue, the parking lot behind the PNC Bank on Chelten Avenue, and the Germantown SEPTA Station parking lots. For the last event of the day held at the First Presbyterian Church, visitors can also find parking in those areas.

Vernon Park

The two stages, labeled as Stage One and Stage Two, will be located on the Greene Street side of the park and will run from noon to approximately 6:00p.m. Admission to this area of the festival is free, allowing you to watch the day’s performances. Still, a VIP ticket costs $15, granting visitors access to a prime spot right in front of the stage.

Vendors with a wide range of products will also be present in the park at 12, offering skin care, self-care items, clothing, accessories, jewelry, candles, artifacts, and other homemade goods, as well as art displays.

Food trucks, such as Footsies Catfish Cafe, Sensational Seafood and Grill, and others, will be at the park. Organizers encourage people to explore the many local restaurants in the neighborhood. The city is also shutting down Germantown Avenue from Chelten Avenue to Haines Street to accommodate the heavy foot traffic expected during the festival.

Interactive Stations

Interactive stations start at 12:00 p.m. on the Germantown Avenue side of the park. They include:

The Art Pavilion, presented by the October Gallery, will feature various tents showcasing artists’ work, accompanied by prize giveaways, as Khadijah Renee described it as almost an “outdoor museum.”
Two artists from the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program will create a mural that is a vibrant tribute to Jazz music, offering viewers a close-up look at the artistic process behind its creation. Organizers are in the process of finding a local school to buy and house the mural.
An area where members of the ARTsisters organization will interact with children and offer a space for them to create art prints, drawings, and paintings.
A wellness tent will be dedicated to Reiki, energy healing, chakra candles, and massage services.

Stage One Concert:

12:00 p.m. – The Fels Jazz Ensemble

1:10 p.m. – Leon Jordan, Jr. Quintet

2:30 p.m. – Dave Postmontier Quartet

3:50 p.m. – Josh Lee and The Family

Stage Two Concert:

12:40 p.m. – MIC’D UP ALL STARS/ Luke O’Reilly

1:50 p.m. – Temple University Community Music Scholars

3:10 p.m. – West Chester University Criterions Jazz Ensemble

4:30 p.m. – Lower Merion Youth Jazz Combo

First Presbyterian Church

8:00 to 10:00 p.m. – Acclaimed saxophonist Bobby Watson will feature his Quartet and the stage to conclude the day, and the concert is $50 in advance and $55 at the door. Visitors can find parking in the parking lots and at the locations listed above for day two as well.

Day Three: Sunday, April 27, noon to midnight

The third day will feature a major indoor Jazz concert performance, an evening jazz jam, and a vendors market that will span the entire day, as the 6000 block of Germantown Avenue will be closed for festival activities. Visitors are asked to use the nearby street parking.

6000 Block of Germantown Avenue

12 – 6:00 p.m. — Outdoor vendor market

The Nile Cafe Grand Temple Hall

4 – 6:00 p.m. – Concert from The Cookers, composed of jazz veterans George Cables, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart, Eddie Henderson, Azar Lawrence, and David Weiss.
2 – 11 p.m. – Indoor Vendors Market
7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. – The closing event will be the Festival’s Jazz Jam, where attendees are welcome to sign up to go up on stage and perform in the Jazz genre. General Admission to spectate is $10, individuals can sign up to perform for $15, and groups can sign up for $30.