Jazz in the Valley Festival Returns to Poughkeepsie on August 19th

Date Published: August 8, 2018

Jazz in the Valley returns to Poughkeepsie for its 18th annual celebration of America’s music by the Walkway Over the Hudson on Sunday, August 19^th! The Jazz in the Valley Festival fills Waryas Park with music, in an afternoon full of stars, performing alongside the majestic Hudson River and the spectacular Walkway Over the Hudson.

On the main stage see headline acts Vocalist Rene Marie, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, bassist Mimi Jones, saxophonists Javon Jacksonm and Donald Harrison, pianist Joanne Bracken and Rachiim Ausar-Sahu. The festival’s second stage for free performances by regional musicians is located at Upper Landing Park adjacent to the Walkway over the Hudson. A food court and global marketplace at Waryas Park add more flavors to the day.

Save the trip to the Blue Note Club in New York City or the Newport Jazz Festival and enjoy an afternoon packed with preeminent musicians on the Hudson River’s breezy shores, for performances spanning straight-ahead jazz to more contemporary and international interpretations. Women are prominent at this year’s festival, including bands led by Rene Marie and Mimi Jones, as well as acclaimed Joanne Brackeen performing in the Javon Jackson Superband. Brackeen was recently named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.

No car? No problem! Metro-North Railroad offers a discount rail and festival package and Waryas Park is an easy walk from the station. Start your day with a scenic train ride along the Hudson River on the Metro-North to Poughkeepsie. Walk toward the river from the train station as the gates open at 11am. You won’t miss a beat when the music starts at 12pm.

General admission tickets are $50, and $60 at the gate. Students with valid ID gain entrance at the gate for $20. Tickets can be purchased online through the festival’s website, (Save $10 and use Discount Code POJO 2018) or in person at Blue-Byrds Haberdashery & Music at 320 Wall Street, Kingston, 845-339-3174, or at the gate on the day of the show. For group ticket sales, directions and information about Jazz in the Valley contact TRANSART at info@transartinc.org or (845) 384-6350. For a combination ticket and round trip bus travel from New York City call (917) 345-1357 or (646) 643-3035.

Jazz in the Valley is presented by the Hudson Valley based non-profit organization TRANSART & Cultural Services. Promotional partners for the festival are Metro North, Dutchess Tourism, the Poughkeepsie Journal, and the Walkway Over the Hudson. Lift the audience vibes with your presence! Enjoy terrific music with the picturesque Hudson River and Catskill Mountains as the backdrop.