Outdoor Grand Center celebration honors St. Louis’ jazz history
ST. LOUIS (Aug. 7, 2025) – Jazz St. Louis will launch its 30th Anniversary Season with a lively party and four-block second line parade through Grand Center on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 5:30–8:00 pm. The Jazz St. Louis 30th Anniversary Kickoff Party is a free public celebration led by renowned New Orleans jazz drummer and former member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Herlin Riley and Yolonda Lankford, co-host and producer of “Own Your Now” Show as grand marshals of the parade.
The Jazz St. Louis 30th Anniversary Kickoff Party will showcase the energy and soul of St. Louis’ live music scene, featuring three beloved local brass bands: St. Boogie Brass Band, Red and Black Brass Band, and Funky Butt Brass Band.
The evening will begin with a parade, performed in jazz’s second line tradition, starting at Compton and Washington Avenue at 5:30 pm. The procession will travel west along Washington, reaching Strauss Park in front of the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, the home of Jazz St. Louis, around 6:00 pm.
The celebration will continue in Strauss Park until 8:00 pm. Attendees will enjoy live music throughout the evening, party favors and food for purchase from food trucks.
Party-goers will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets or subscriptions for Jazz St. Louis’ spectacular 30th Anniversary season.
“Thanks to the support of the Steward Family Foundation, World Wide Technologies and Ameren, we’re honoring not just 30 years of concerts, but 30 years of moments, memories, and music that have shaped who we are,” said Victor Goines, President & CEO of Jazz St. Louis. “Since 1995, we’ve had the honor of bringing GRAMMY winners, rising stars, and fearless innovators to our stage, each adding to St. Louis’s rich legacy as a true jazz city.”
The event also kicks off the Centennial celebration of Miles Davis, honoring the legendary St. Louis-born trumpeter whose influence continues to shape jazz worldwide.
In the event of rain, the celebration will move indoors to the Ferring Jazz Bistro, with overflow seating available in Nancy’s Jazz Lounge. Guests will still enjoy the full experience, with performances beginning at 5:30 PM through 8:00 PM, as originally scheduled. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Birch Culinary – ensuring the evening remains festive and flavorful, rain or shine.
For more about the Jazz St. Louis 30th Anniversary Season, visit jazzstl.org.
Media Contact: Serena Mounts, Leigh Walters Communications, (314) 374-2334, serenam@lwcstrategies.com
About Jazz St. Louis
Jazz St. Louis is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to lead our community in advancing the uniquely American art of jazz through performance, education, and community engagement.
Each year, Jazz St. Louis presents over 270 performances in its internationally acclaimed concert series. The non-profit organization takes a three-pronged approach to its work: presenting jazz, encouraging and educating future audiences, and nurturing budding musicians.
Jazz St. Louis Education programs cultivate leadership and cultural appreciation in the next generation of musicians and listeners through training, educational resources, and transformative engagement with musicians from St. Louis, the U.S. and around the world. Jazz St. Louis has an extensive portfolio of education programs aimed at elementary through college students in the greater St. Louis area and beyond. The organization provides field trip experiences, hands-on training programs, in-school clinics and masterclasses, and curricular resources for teachers, all at no cost to participants.
Each year, Jazz St. Louis presents over 270 performances in its internationally acclaimed concert series. The non-profit organization takes a three-pronged approach to its work: presenting jazz, encouraging and educating future audiences, and nurturing budding musicians.
Jazz St. Louis Education programs cultivate leadership and cultural appreciation in the next generation of musicians and listeners through training, educational resources, and transformative engagement with musicians from St. Louis, the U.S. and around the world. Jazz St. Louis has an extensive portfolio of education programs aimed at elementary through college students in the greater St. Louis area and beyond. The organization provides field trip experiences, hands-on training programs, in-school clinics and masterclasses, and curricular resources for teachers, all at no cost to participants.
