Weekend Winner: Discover Jazz Festival
Dateline: 06/10/98
Do you like jazz?
What about blues? Latin? Gospel? Then make plans fast to get to Burlington, Vermont, this
weekend for the culmination of the Discover
Jazz Festival, which began Tuesday and which runs through Sunday evening. By the time
it's over, 145 musical acts will have enthralled visitors, who can also join in the fun of
a Bourbon Street-style Saturday night block party and a host of other entertainment and
attractions on Vermont's beautiful Lake Champlain.
More than 1,000 musicians will perform at about 50 different venues during the Festival's six-day run. Performances will be held in nightclubs, restaurants, parks, and businesses throughout Burlington.
Some events are free, and others require that tickets be purchased in advance. A highlight of the festivities slated for this weekend is the Block Party on Saturday night sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing Company. Great music, great food, and Magic Hat beverages are at the centerpiece of this free event on Church Street, where visitors will be treated to four blocks of activity with sounds, lights, food, and surprises. More than 10 bands are scheduled to perform at this free event.
The weekend's headline performances include: Dr. Jazz & the Dixie Hot Shots performing on a Friday night Dixieland cruise aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen II; Friday night's brass event at the Flynn Theatre featuring Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy and the New Orleans sounds of The Rebirth Brass Band; a late evening cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen II with D.J. Hector Cobeo, aka "El Salsero," spinning Latin tunes; and an All-Star Jam Session led by James Harvey and Michael Ray at the Adirondack Ballroom, Radisson Hotel Burlington. Saturday's big shows are: jazz singer Dianne Reeves and her band at the Flynn Theatre, and the rhythmic beat of the "Leon Parker: Vermont Percussion Summit" at Contois Club, City Hall. Sunday evening's big closing event is a performance by Jesús Alemañy’s ¡Cubanismo! at the Flynn Theatre.
For complete information about the Festival, including performance schedules, call the
Festival office at (802) 863-7992. If you can't get to a ticket outlet in Vermont, call
(802) 863-5966 to order tickets for any of the above or other events.
If you're going, the Heart
of Vermont Lodging Association offers terrific information for travelers on lodging and attractions in the Burlington
area.
And... if you go... drop me a line
and tell me about your favorite performances!
Also this weekend...
Boston Brewers Festival is June 12 and 13: Planet Sportswear presents the Boston Brewers Festival at Suffolk Downs on Friday evening, June 12, from 8 p.m. until midnight, and on Saturday, June 13 from 1 to 5 p.m. and from 8 p.m. until midnight. Sample more than 400 beers crafted by more than 100 microbreweries. Your admission ticket includes 20 "tasting tickets." Additional tickets may be purchased at the Brewfest at 10 for $1. Entertainment includes music, exhibits, and simulcast betting. Free parking is available at Suffolk Downs (directions available online) or access is available via the blue line. Admission is $25. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at (617) 931-2000 or (508) 931-2000 or order at Ticketmaster's online site. Tickets are also available at the festival.
The Berkshire Mountain Music Festival, three days of music and camping in western Massachusetts runs from Friday through Sunday in Lanesboro, Massachusetts. Los Lobos heads up the line-up of more than a dozen bands slated to perform at Noppet Hill Farm. For ticket information, call toll free: 888 381-8050. For information, call (617) 499-8658.
Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, hosts a one-of-a-kind sea song event at its Sea Music Festival June 12, 13, and 14. More than 30 musicians and performers are featured in this weekend of concerts and workshops at seven locations throughout the seaport grounds, including on board all three ships. For information and tickets, call (860) 572-5315 or toll-free: 888-9SEAPORT
...Enjoy!!
More from New England for Visitors
Looking for more New England travel information? Start with the New England for Visitors Home Page, where you'll find current features and links to the best of the Net for all of your travel planning needs.
Don't miss our free email newsletter, New England NewsBeam, which keeps you up to date on what's happening in the region. Subscribe today!
Images from Microsoft Clip Gallery Live.
