Jazz in The Parks

The DC region’s most acclaimed jazz musicians are returning to the ever-popular Jazz in The Parks on the Great Lawn this summer. Bring your neighbors and friends for the city’s favorite laid-back summer evenings. Bring your own picnic, blanket and refreshments, and enjoy popular food trucks. 

The events start at 5 pm with favorite children’s performer Baba Ras D (get ready to dance!), followed at 6 pm by the headliners listed below. 

Save the Dates for the 2022 Season: 

  • Saturday, June 18, 5-8 pm: Presenting Akua Allrich 
    Allrich has proven herself to be a musician of extraordinary talent and crowd-moving passion. Allrich’s style is fluid and ever evolving. Her musical roots run deeply into blues, soul, and rhythm and blues, with a clear grounding in jazz and pan-African music. More about Akua. 
  • Saturday, Presenting Brent Birckhead | RSVP here. POSTPONED TO SUNDAY, JULY 17, 5-8 PM due to inclement weather
    Saxophonist Brent Birckhead is an award-winning artist whose aesthetic is an intersectional amalgam of traditional and popular styles. Unbound by genre, Birckhead’s approach to woodwind artistry is driven by his compulsion for creative risk and deep respect for legacy. More about Brent.
  • Saturday, August 20, 5-8 pm: Presenting Mark Meadows | RSVP here
    An acclaimed jazz composer, pianist, music director, vocalist, jazz instructor, and actor, Mark G. Meadows is a man on a mission: to create a unifying sound that breaks through social barriers. There’s something for everyone in his music, which harmonizes pop, gospel, R&B, hip hop, funk, and jazz. With his lyrics, suffused with meaning, and his velvet voice, Meadows cuts through the noise to speak to all. More about Mark. 

Vendors: Bring your own picnic, or purchase food from J&J Mex-Taqueria, Pepe by José Andrés, Capitol Kettle Corn, and more!  

Location: The Great Lawn is located at the center of the campus. Enter from 16th Street NW, or enter from Georgia Avenue at Butternut Street NW, and follow Main Drive around to the grassy area.

How to Get There: Parking is limited on the site, so walking or biking is recommended. Bike parking is available on racks and signage throughout the site. Some street parking is available inside The Parks gate, and street parking is also available along Georgia Avenue and Butternut Street NW.