Dance and Relax at Jazz in the Park Festival This Weekend

53160196_491546171377099_6330818692368039936_nBacked by popular demand, the annual Jazz in the Park Festival will transport concert goers to Paris for the third year in a row as live musicians deliver sweet, rhythmic tunes for two summer nights. The free event will take place 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2 and 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3.

Since the event’s inaugural year in 2017, this free music festival — sponsored by La Gitana Pizzeria and the City — has brought family and friends together to enjoy the summer evening while listening to music, dancing, and relaxing under the stars with about 1,000 people attending last year’s event. 

Now in its third year, Pizzeria La Gitana owner Marian Licxandru anticipates an even stronger turnout this year with multiple musicians on deck, a dance floor, beer and wine garden, and Paris-like ambiance with gas fire pits, patio heaters, and string lights. He recommends bringing your family and friends, picnic baskets, blankets and to be prepared to be transported to a vacation state of mind. 

The Friday lineup will include El Cajon, Choro Tomorrow, and Swing Strings, while the Saturday Lineup will include Black Satin, Jessica Blinn Quartet, Eden Lane Quartet, Vendredi’s Bag, and LaVon Hardison Quartet. All of the musicians on in the lineup regularly play at one or both of La Pizzeria Lagitana’s locations. 

Hardison performed at the first jazz festival and sings jazz standards, originals and covers. Many of her tunes are derived from songs found in the Great American Song Book. Training in the Boston Lyric Opera and performing in dramatic and musical theater, she has since been a featured performer at the festival of World Sacred Music in New Delhi, India. Hardison won the Seattle-Kobe Sister Jazz Vocalist Audition which prompted her to perform in Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo. Along with her performances in Japan, Hardison has performed in Oregon and Massachusetts. 

Jazz in the park was the first music festival to make its way to Yelm City Park three years ago and since then, the park has undergone many improvements, including the newly constructed splash pad and playground equipment. This event, among with many other newly established community gatherings have made the park a destination in the heart of our community. 

We hope you join us for relaxing summer evening filled with great music!