'Jazz in the Pines' is Back! Popular Idyllwild Festival Runs Through Sunday

IDYLLWILD, CA - The 23rd annual Idyllwild Jazz Festival in the Pines will get underway Friday with an opening gala, followed Saturday by more than two dozen artists on multiple stages at a mile-high venue.

The event will be centered at the Idyllwild Arts Academy campus, with the majority of performances in the Holmes Amphitheater.

A "VIP Dinner" is scheduled tonight with a "Magic in the Forest" theme, featuring magicians, a silent auction and music by Seahawk MOJO. A dance party will round out the affair.

The festival will get into full swing on Saturday, during which bands will play the main stage, the French Quarter, Stephens Hall and Lowman Concert Hall. Performances will generally be between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The Graham Dechter Quartet, the Greg Jones Band, Joshua White, and The Westerlies will all be playing sets.

On Sunday, Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart will be in the mix, along with the Chuck Alvarez Band, the Euphoria Brass Band, the Henry Franklin Quartet and Stevie D & Solar Flare.

In addition to musical entertainment, there will be numerous food and crafts vendors, as well as informational booths about the academy, which uses funds from the festival to support scholarships for aspiring musicians.

Admission is $85 for a daylong pass and $150 for a two-day passport.

More information on the musical line-up, access and activities is available at http://www.jazzinthepines.com/

– By City News Service. Patch file photo by Guy McCarthy.