­­For Immediate Release: May 20, 2022

Now in its 44th year, the Alexandria Jazz Fest–formerly known as the Memorial Day Jazz Festival–is moving to a new date in 2022. The City of Alexandria is joining with Visit Alexandria to expand the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival to two days, June 17 and 18. 

The 44th Annual Alexandria Jazz Fest will open the weekend festivities at Waterfront Park (1A Prince St.) on Friday, June 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. Festival-goers will be treated to jazz from Cubano Groove, VERONNEAU and the Eric Byrd Trio; plus interludes of poetry by Zeina Azzam, the City’s newest Poet Laureate; KaNikki Jakarta, the City’s Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022; and an up-and-coming Alexandria youth poet.

The free, two-day Portside Festival continues Saturday, June 18, from 1 to 9 p.m. with an array of live music, local craft beer from Port City Brewing Company and fun for the whole family with hands-on art, history activities and more. 

Visit the Portside Festival website for more information about the event.

For inquiries from the news media only, contact Andrea Blackford, Editorial Communications Manager, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact arts@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4586, Virginia Relay 711.

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This news release is available at alexandriava.gov/go/3636.