The Northside’s First Jazz & Heritage Festival
A celebration of Jazz, Soul & Heritage on the Riverfront
Jazz was born from Black American cultural expression and grew into a global art form. On Sunday, July 26, 2026, it comes home to the Northside. The first annual Northside Jazz & Heritage Festival takes place on the Mississippi riverfront at West Broadway Ave and West River Parkway—a free, family-friendly, outdoor celebration of jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, and the living tradition of Black American music. From 11AM to 7PM, the riverfront transforms to an outdoor cultural stage, and will become a gathering place for live music, food, art, and community. This is the first of its kind on the Northside—and it’s built to happen every year.
Music
Live performances of jazz, soul, R&B, and gospel from a regional headliner and Minnesota-based featured artists. Step group performances and dance breaks woven throughout the day. Old school. New school. The full range.
HERITAGE
The Northside has shaped American music in ways that often go unrecognized—from the artists who couldn’t stay in downtown hotels and were welcomed into Northside homes, to the generation that raised Prince, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Jellybean Johnson. This festival honors that legacy where it lives.
Community
A curated marketplace of food vendors, artisans, and small businesses. A family zone for children. A cultural lounge for elders. Space for multigenerational gathering on the riverfront.
