SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, presented by Blues to Green, begins today, July 10, and continues Saturday, July 11, promising a weekend of music, culture, and community. Returning to historic Court Square in downtown Springfield, this year’s free festival showcases a world-class roster spanning New Orleans funk, Afro-Cuban jazz, and global roots, while introducing new ways for the community to sustain the music for years to come.

The 2026 lineup is a vibrant journey through the African diaspora and beyond, featuring New Orleans funk powerhouse Dumpstaphunk; visionary Cuban pianist Omar Sosa; Trinidad-born trumpeter Etienne Charles’s Gullah Roots; Grammy-winning pianist Zaccai Curtis; Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and drummer David Rivera y La Bámbula; and other global and local standouts, from the immigrant-led ensemble All the Rivers and Uganda-rooted Zikina to Springfield favorites like Malado!, Chestina Thrower, and the vintage swing of Dan Gabel and the Gabeltones.

The most important message of the festival remains that the music is free and open to everyone. To protect this mission, Blues to Green announced the launch of the Jazz Club, a sustaining membership community. Memberships begin at $100 and directly support the free festival, youth arts engagement, and the Arts for Racial & Climate Justice storytelling initiative.

As a thank-you, members at the $250 level and above gain access to the Jazz Club Lounge, a warm, welcoming space to connect during the festival weekend. This is a mission-based way for supporters to participate more deeply in cultural preservation and the legacy of Charles Neville.

“The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival is a vital cultural anchor for Springfield,” said Kristin Neville, executive director of Blues to Green. “The launch of the Jazz Club, alongside opportunities for volunteers, vendors, community organizations, and local business sponsors to take part in festival weekend, reflects the broad community support that helps keep this festival free, welcoming, and open to everyone.”

For full artist profiles and Jazz Club registration, visit springfieldjazzfest.com.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival kicks off today, July 21, in and around Stearns Square in downtown Springfield and continues through Saturday, July 22. This year marks the 10th annual festival.

“We are so proud to welcome residents and visitors to the 10th annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, an event that unites people through music, art, and fostering a sense of community,” Mayor Domenic Sarno said. “We are also proud to continue to support the organizers at Blues to Green and commend them for their hard work to put together a thoughtful and entertaining experience with a positive impact for our community.”

Visit springfieldjazzfest.com for the full schedule of events and music lineup.

SPRINGFIELD — 2021 marks the eighth season of Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, an annual celebration in the heart of Springfield produced by Blues to Green.

This festival has become a powerful expression of civic pride, uniting the region’s diverse cultural communities through music, art, education, and revelry. The event will feature 17 performers between 12:30 and 10:30 p.m., as well as pop-up food and beverage vendors. Admission is free, but reservations are required this year. Visit springfieldjazzfest.com for the full lineup and schedule, and to RSVP.

SPRINGFIELD — MassDevelopment awarded a $10,000 grant to Blues to Green Inc., which will use the funds to relocate the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival downtown to the Springfield Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) district to help catalyze economic recovery and support black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)-owned businesses in the neighborhood. Festival events will also take place at local parks and businesses, including three emerging black-owned businesses, and will provide employment and exposure opportunities to local Springfield artists.

Blues to Green will also crowdfund this summer; if the organization reaches its $40,000 goal, it will receive an additional $40,000 matching grant from MassDevelopment. The funds are awarded through MassDevelopment’s special Commonwealth Places COVID-19 Response Round: Resurgent Places, which was made available specifically to assist local economic-recovery efforts as community partners prepare public spaces and commercial districts to serve residents and visitors.

“Before this pandemic, the vibrant centers of our cities and towns were not only a driving force behind the strength of local economies, they were the places where we gathered to dine, to shop, and to be entertained, and the Commonwealth Places program is one way that we can help these areas bounce back stronger than ever,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, who chairs MassDevelopment’s board of directors. “The Baker-Polito administration continues to support downtowns and town centers through various economic-recovery programs, and these Resurgent Places grants are providing nonprofit community organizations with the resources to activate public spaces, boost economic activity, and support an equitable recovery.”

Added MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera, “we are proud to support Blues to Green Inc. in this way as it relocates the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival downtown to drive foot traffic to BIPOC-owned businesses,” said. “MassDevelopment is focused on assisting hard-hit neighborhoods as they recover from the economic and social impacts of COVID-19. Our Resurgent Places grants will help make it easier for people to come together again for arts and cultural celebrations that benefit both the local economy and the larger community.”