International Jazz Festival will put the "POP" in Apopka this Saturday night

On Saturday, March 19th, Apopka will dance the night away at the second-annual Apopka International Jazz Festival.

The lineup will feature four acts performing R&B and jazz music. Among the acts are three Grammy-nominated stars, including Jeffrey Osborne, Nestor Torres from Puerto Rico who will be playing Latin Jazz, and the band Hiroshima. Chart-topping artists Lori Williams and Dee Lucas are also set to perform, while local legend Andre Mack will keep the party rolling with his funk-filled deejaying. 

Originally dubbed the Orlando International Jazz Festival, the annual event canceled its 2021 show due to pandemic concerns. Now, in light of eased restrictions and declining COVID-19 cases, the event will return in a new way with jazz-fusion festivities. 

The Festival is at the Apopka Amphitheater with a capacity of 6,300 people. Aside from rows of covered, fixed seating, guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the recreational complex’s grass field. With a 180-degree view of the stage, event coordinators assure the music can be enjoyed from anywhere at the venue.

Besides the concert entertainment, the festival will include food trucks with a wide selection of cuisines, and vendors selling merchandise and handmade products. Family-friendly opportunities such as arts and crafts will be offered as well. Seating is first-come, first-serve. The festival goes on - rain or shine.

General admission tickets are $45 each. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to help support local youth music programs, like the Wekiva High School band. With many of this year’s acts having been music teachers themselves, the artists hope to give back to the communities that support the arts and foster a symbiotic relationship of inspiration and musical fun.

Festival gates open at 4 p.m. and the last act goes on around 8:15 p.m. 

For tickets, go here.

For more details, go here.

Correction to the article was made on 3/19/2022 to reflect there will be four acts, not six, and the music will be primarily jazz and R&B, not contemporary blues.