The Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival is returning to Saunders Park Greene this Saturday, July 20, from noon to 7 p.m. The outdoor event offers locals a chance to enjoy live music, local vendors, activities for kids and a selection of food trucks serving up fare.
Organized by HopePHL (formerly People’s Emergency Center and Youth Service, Inc.) The Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and a committee of community members, plus technical assistance from Nu Millennium Media Productions, the occasion holds free admission for all Philadelphians.
“We are very excited about this year’s Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival,” said Bernadine Hawes, HopePHL Community Development Corporation Board Chair in a statement. “It’s guaranteed to be an enjoyable day out for anyone in or near West Philadelphia on July 20.”
HopePHL (pronounced “hopeful”) was founded through that integration of the two human service organizations, and their mission is to inspire Philadelphia’s children, youth, families and communities to thrive by providing housing, advocacy, and trauma-responsive social services designed to promote equity, resilience, autonomy, and well-being, according to a news release.
Throughout the year, to raise support for the annual occasion, the organization throws multiple pop-up performances in unique outdoor spaces in Philadelphia from April to July. Performers included The Brent White Band, Wayne Smith, Jr. Band, Mervin Toussaint Quartet, and Justin Bowden for 2024.
This year’s headlining act is Jamaaladeen Tacuma Quintet featuring Odean Pope, and other performers throughout the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival span Joe Block Quintet, Timothy Vaughan Inside Outside Ensemble, Mollie Ducoste, Deborah Smith, and “returning audience favorite” Glenn Bryan & Friends.
“Celebrating the community with this festival is a high point of our calendar every year,” finished Kathy Desmond, HopePHL president in another statement. “We are grateful to our planning committee, partners, and sponsors for all of their support.”
To find out more information on 2024’s Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival at Saunders Park Greene (300-50 Saunders Ave.,) visit hopephl.org
