Get jazzed for the best jam session in Corpus Christi. The 58th annual Texas Jazz Festival returns to Heritage Park on Oct. 19-21 with three stages showcasing 50 bands and more than a hundred vendors.
The Texas Jazz Festival began in 1959 at Del Mar College and hit the ground running, drawing musicians from all over to the Coastal Bend. Not only is it the official jazz festival of Texas, it’s also the longest-running jazz festival in the world. Better yet: It’s completely free for all to attend.
Headlining this year’s festival is the Jason Neville Funky Soul Band, coming straight from the jazz capital itself, the French Quarter of New Orleans.
The festival has been held in Heritage Park for nearly two decades with the historic old houses a fitting backdrop for jazz music. This year, the event almost had to change venues due to a high price tag of $40,000 for traffic and site safety. Budgets are tight for free festivals, and this one was facing fundraising issues.
The Texas Jazz Festival announced the unfortunate news on its Facebook page over Labor Day weekend. The public response was tremendous. The very next day, the festival returned with another announcement: Organizers negotiated with the city of Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Police Department, striking a deal to allow them to stay at Heritage Park.
Celebrate the love of music with jazz musicians from around the world at this year’s Texas Jazz Festival at Heritage Park, 1581 N. Chaparral St. For more information, visit texasjazz-fest.org.
The festival is looking for jazz fans to volunteer. To sign up, email Marty Alvarez at jazzvolunteers@yahoo.com.