Saturday,
September 27th

Metuchen

6:00pm to 9:30pm

Location

Metuchen High School Auditorium with 600 seat capacity at 400 Grove Avenue – north of Rt 27 (Middlesex Avenue).

Parking

Free parking for all in parking lots or side streets.

Festival Food

No food vendors on site. Great food and beverage will be available at the outstanding downtown Metuchen restaurants and ice cream shops.

What to Bring/What not to Bring

Metuchen thinks dogs are terrific, but they are not permitted at this event unless they are certified service animals.

Vendors

Several organizations will be present, including sponsors Manasquan Bank and Westerhoff School of Music, as well as, Friends of Metuchen Arts, Metuchen Arts Council and Jersey Jazz (New Jersey Jazz Society) and a table where the performing artists will have their merchandise. Please stop by to say “Hello!” and get information about these organizations.

In light of move indoors — Information

To help manage attendance, please pre-register for a free ticket at Eventbrite by clicking here. This will help assure you have a seat at the MHS location now that the festival is moved indoors. If you pre-register and then decide not to attend, please let us know so others may attend. We hope to see you at the Festival! Thank you!

For More Information

To learn more about Metuchen Jazz: Friends of Metuchen Arts – Metuchen Jazz. To learn about more arts in Metuchen: Friends of Metuchen Arts and Metuchen Arts Council.

You are invited to Metuchen!  Experience great jazz, fabulous restaurants and small-town friendliness.   It’s been called the “Brainy Borough” since the 1900’s in recognition of all the artists and writers who have called Metuchen “home.”  Metuchen is the “Great American Main Street Award Winner for 2023.” Yes – a Big Deal!  Come and see why!

Our approach to the jazz festival in Metuchen is one of “community inclusion.”  Performance by Prāna Arts will begin the debut of the Middlesex County Jazz Festival in Metuchen followed by Metuchen High School Jazz Ensemble (big band) with Band Director John Messenger.  The Metuchen High School Chamber Orchestra conducted by Chris McEwan joins them.  Trombonist Mariel Bildsten is next with her 7 – piece band. The headlining event is “Remembering Russell” Russell Malone Quartet with guitarist Mark Whitfield; Rick Germanson, piano, Vincent DuPont, bass and Neal Smith drums, which will bring the jazz festival to its peak. We remember Russell Malone, who died of a heart attack on August 23, 2024 while on tour with bassist Ron Carter and pianist Donald Vega in Japan.

The jazz festival in Metuchen is a collaborative effort between Metuchen Arts Council (MAC) and Friends of Metuchen Arts (FOMA).  MAC is a Commission of the Metuchen Borough and, every year, MAC receives a limited budget from the Borough for its events. FOMA is a 501 (C) 3 nonprofit organization which fundraises for all kinds of arts events and also produces events on its own, specifically Metuchen Jazz and has recently started Metuchen Classical.  FOMA helps provide additional funds to Metuchen Arts Council for its projects and to other arts organizations and individual artists.

Saturday’s Schedule

Visitors to the Middlesex County Jazz Festival – Metuchen may begin seating starting at 5:00 p.m. The performances will begin at 6:00 p.m.

6:00 – 6:30Artist to be announced
6:30 – 7:00Artist to be announced
7:00 – 8:00Artist to be announced
8:00 – 9:30Artist to be announced