Festival Season is Upon Us!

Here's what's coming up:

	The 19th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival takes place June 22-24 with three days of free music in and around Mears Park in Lowertown, Saint Paul. Headliners this year include include John Coltrane Quartet pianist McCoy Tyner performing with Joshua Redman; Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard; Anat Cohen with Choro Aventuroso; and keyboardist, organist, and Minnesota-native Bobby Lyle. Ride to the festival for free with a downloadable MetroTransit bus and lightrail pass. Gear up for the weekend with pre-festival events at the Saint Paul Libraries and Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis.
	Also the weekend of June 22 - 25, One Voice Mixed Chorus is bringing the Pride celebration to Saint Paul with a special production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Piarates of Penzance on Raspberry Island. In collaboration with Nautilus Theater, this topsy-turvy, gender-bending musical adventure for the whole family is sure to be unlike anything the Twin Cities has ever seen. The show is free, though reservations are recommended.
	This weekend, Nero Wolfe returns to Park Square Theatre with a new, world premiere commission of Might As Well Be Dead: A Nero Wolfe Mystery, playing through July 30. Whether your style is NCIS or Miss Marple, this is a delicious chance to discover or share one of the great detectives with your family and friends. Then, later this month, Girl Friday Productions, one of Park Square's Theatres in Residence, presents Idiot's Delight on the Andy Boss Thrsut Stage, June 29 - July 23. Single tickets and season packages are now on sale for Park Square's 2017-2018 Season.
	Then, next month, the Lowertown Blues and Funk Festival returns to Mears Park with a night of soul and funk on Friday, July 21, followed by a day of blues on Saturday, July 21. The lineup for the Twin Cities' largest, free blues and funk festival includes a salute to the music of Prince by Chase & Ovation, as well as performances by Average White Band, Shannon Curfman, Tomy Castro & the Painkillers, and more.

Half-way through a hot summer, many events are still to come!

Earlier this summer, the 14th annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival, held June 28 - 30 in Saint Paul, set a new record attendance!

Now it’s on to the second annual Lowertown Roots Music Festivalin Mears Park, Saturday July 28th. This year's Roots Music Festival performers include the soulful gospel sounds of Mike Farris, the hard rockin’ Tex Mex band Los Conocidos, jazz pianist Butch Thompson, and the bluesy fiddle playing Minnesota bluegrass band the Barley Jacks with Brian Wicklund. Admission is free, and some local clubs/restaurants will have music on Friday and Saturday evenings. 

In August, Circus Juventas, North America’s largest youth circus, will present their all-new production Showdown. It's a rip-roarin’ Wild West adventure by 70 advance level performers including aerialists, the Wheel of Steel, a 7-man pyramid on the high wire (Circus Juventas is only the third youth circus in history to perform this feat), jugglers, dancers, and more. Performances are August 2–19, and tickets range from $17.50 to $30 with discounts for youth, seniors and groups. Circus Juventas always sells out so don’t wait to get your tickets.

The weekend after Labor Day Weekend, the annual Concrete and Grass Lowertown Music Festival will be held in Mears Park. More information soon.

And to wind down the summer festivities, Festa Italiana returns to Harriet Island September 21st and 22. A dozen great Italian restaurants are booked, cultural exhibits have been expanded, and a third stage has been added. Don't miss the Wheels of Italy car show, the St. Paul Yacht Club's flotilla, gondola rides on the Mississippi, shopping for Italian wares, a police escorted “Tour the Town” charity motorbike ride conducted by the Ducati Owners of Minneapolis, and the outdoor Catholic Mass Saturday afternoon at 4:30. Admission is free. 

For more information on any one of the above events, download a press release on the Media Resources page.

Concrete and Grass Line-up Announced

The fifth annual Concrete and Grass Lowertown Music Festival returns to Saint Paul’s Mears Park Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 11. The free three-day festival welcomes music lovers of all ages recognizing that people are not one-dimensional in their musical tastes.

Check out the news release for the complete schedule...