One Festive Summer Planned In Hartford Area

HARTFORD, CT — Local leaders this week said it will be one festive summer in the state's capital, with multiple festivals taking place.

Wednesday, the Greater Hartford Arts Council (GHAC) and the City Hartford announced details for the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, along with the return of the Summer in the City (SITC) event series.

The program, which began in 2017 and is supported by Raytheon Technologies, promotes a wide variety of arts and cultural organizations throughout the Hartford region.

SITC is also part of Hartford Creates, a partnership between the City of Hartford and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, New England’s largest free public jazz festival, will be celebrating its 31st year.

The Festival kicks off Thursday, July 14, at 6 p.m. with a performance by West Hartford Hall High School’s jazz band, continuing with star-studded performances Friday, July 15, to Sunday, July 17, at Bushnell Park.

For more information, visit https://www.hartfordjazz.org.

“From now until mid-September, we’ve got festival after festival, either in Bushnell Park or at the Riverfront -- starting this weekend with the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz,” said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.

“The Summer in the City series brings free, family-friendly celebrations of art, music and culture in the Capital City, and I’m incredibly grateful to all of the partners who make it possible – from Raytheon Technologies, our biggest sponsor, to Stanley Black & Decker and so many other generous supporters, to the team at the Greater Hartford Arts Council, to the countless organizers and volunteers who pour heart and soul into organizing these events all year long.”

"It is wonderful to play a role in helping our city celebrate its diversity through art and cultural performances,” said Rev. Dr Shelley Best, CEO of Greater Hartford Arts Council. “These performances bring our community together while developing our creative economy. Our team will continue to develop opportunities for creative collaboration and arts mobilization while positioning the greater Hartford region as a true arts destination.”

“We Make It Happen,” offered Charles Christie, President of the Hartford Jazz Festival Board. “This festival is a labor of love and we are excited to bring the community our largest festival yet.”

In addition to the jazz festival, Summer in the City events include:

• Bushnell Park Black-Eyed and Blues Festival, July 30 , 3 to 9 p.m.; July 31 from 3 to 7 pm; Bushnell Park.

• Taste of Caribbean and Jerk Festival, Aug. 6, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Mortensen Riverfront Plaza.

• West Indian Independence Celebration, Aug. 13, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Bushnell Park.

• Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival, Aug. 20, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Mortensen Riverfront Plaza.

• Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival de Coqui, Aug. 21, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Bushnell Park.

• Hartford Pride & Concert, Sept. 10, noon to 6 p.m.; Trumbull Street.

The program also provided support for the Greater Hartford Latino Festival which took place June 25 and the Hartford Bonanza which took place July 2-3.

To learn more about the Greater Hartford Arts Council, visit https://letsgoarts.org and for information on "Summer in the City," visit: www.SummerInHartford.com.