What can cure those winter blues, you ask? The answer, hands down, is the combination of insanely talented jazz musicians, the best food you can find in Williamsburg and a high-energy bunch of locals and out-of-towners.
Combine the three and you have the Winter Blues and Jazz Fest, a four-day experience beginning Jan. 14 that includes 14 events and 20 live music acts. It aims to provide an “enriching and entertaining” jazz-filled weekend to suit all tastes and budgets. A little something for everyone, one might say.
Headquartered in Merchants Square, the festival was born when local business owners, Jennifer Raines and Steve Rose, put their heads together with Chef David Everett to create “excitement” during Williamsburg’s cold, winter months. When they launched the first festival last year, they were hoping for, but not necessarily expecting, a huge turnout. Although, a huge turnout is what they got.
“We were pleasantly surprised—downright blown away—by the response of the 2015 festival,” said Raines. “It was infinitely better than we could have imagined…So we knew the show must go on. We hope to continue to grow it into a ‘staple’ event for Williamsburg.”
Tickets prices vary depending on the event, and can be purchased a la carte or as a discounted four day VIP pass. This year, the festival’s headliner is Davina and the Vagabonds. The band, out of Minneapolis, MN, has used their “high energy” and “level A musicianship” to grab the attention of a national audience. Their Jan. 16 show is part of the Mixology & Music event which treats guests to the “creative concoctions” of 10 of the area’s best-known “celebrity” bartenders.
The weekend concludes with “Jazz on the Square,” a free community concert in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg—Duke of Gloucester Street—which will feature the William & Mary Jazz Combo. The concert is set to begin at 2 p.m.
Venues throughout the weekend include the Williamsburg Winery, Muscarelle Museum of Art, the Williamsburg Lodge and the Williamsburg Art Gallery, and will showcase many of the area’s best restaurants, including: Fat Canary, the Trellis Restaurant, Le Yaca French Restaurant, Waypoint Seafood & Grill, and more.
Additionally, the Williamsburg Lodge offering fantastic rates to event-goers and is within walking distance of much of the festival.
To buy tickets or for more information, including details on all events and lodging, visit the Winter Blues Jazz Fest website at http://www.winterbluesjazzfest.com.
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