Community, Culture & Social Change
Save the next festival date, then explore past gatherings. Tap an event to open its details.
Next festivalSpringfield Jazz & Roots FestivalExplore eventClose detailsJoin Blues to Green for the next Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival on July 9–10, 2027. This annual celebration brings music of the African diaspora into the heart of Springfield, connecting the city’s diverse cultural communities through music, arts, education and shared celebration.
The festival is part of Blues to Green’s year-round work: celebrating cultural heritage, supporting youth learning, and bringing people together through the arts. Visit the festival website for updates as the next edition takes shape.
Festival news & informationAbout the festival
Past festival2026 Springfield Jazz & Roots FestivalThank you for joining us: July 10 & 11, 2026Explore eventClose detailsThe 2026 festival took place July 10–11 at Court Square, downtown Springfield. A gathering rooted in music, culture and community, it brought the spirit of jazz and roots music into the heart of the city.
This past edition belongs to a continuing story: Blues to Green bringing people together through the music of the African diaspora and the shared language of the arts.
Past eventTake Me to the River: New OrleansExplore eventClose detailsBlues to Green and HOPE Center for the Arts co-presented this New Orleans all-star benefit for the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival at HOPE Center, 150 Bridge Street, Springfield.
The lineup brought together Cyril Neville, Omari Neville, Ian Neville, Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr., Jelly Joseph, Robert Mercurio, Joe Ashlar and Brian Richburg Jr., with project director Martin Shore. Inspired by the Take Me to the River film and album, the concert celebrated New Orleans musical heritage while supporting the free festival.
Past eventFat Tuesday Jazz NightExplore eventClose detailsBlues to Green and Springfield Performing Arts Ventures, Inc. co-presented Fat Tuesday Jazz Night at 52 Sumner Avenue in Springfield, a Mardi Gras fundraiser supporting Blues to Green’s arts and community programs.
Badia Farha presented From Ella to Amy, followed by Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils with New Orleans-inspired jazz, funk and Mardi Gras music. Chef Wayne provided Creole and Cajun cuisine.
Past festival2025 Springfield Jazz & Roots FestivalExplore eventClose detailsThe 2025 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival took place July 11–12, 2025, bringing music and community together in downtown Springfield.
Past festival2024 Springfield Jazz & Roots FestivalExplore eventClose detailsThe 2024 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival took place July 12–13, 2024, bringing music and community together in downtown Springfield.
Jazz & Justice programming included a Second Line dance workshop with Tracey Thomas and a Digital Storytelling Space at Tower Square exploring Arts for Racial & Climate Justice.
Past festival2023 Springfield Jazz & Roots FestivalExplore eventClose detailsThe 2023 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival took place July 20–22, 2023, bringing music and community together in downtown Springfield.
Past festival2022 Springfield Jazz & Roots FestivalAugust202213Explore eventClose detailsAn earlier chapter in Springfield’s annual celebration of jazz and roots music: a gathering of music, community and the rich cultural traditions of the African diaspora.
Part of the festival’s continuing mission to bring the city’s diverse communities together through the arts.
Past festivalSpringfield Jazz & Roots FestivalAugust202114Explore eventClose detailsA downtown gathering in the spirit of jazz, roots music and shared celebration. This past festival reflects Blues to Green’s commitment to cultural heritage, community connection and racial justice.
Past eventAnbessa Orchestra feat. Gili YaloAugust202107Explore eventClose detailsGili Yalo and the Anbessa Orchestra brought funk, soul and Ethio-jazz to an outdoor and livestreamed event at Bombyx Art Space in Florence, Massachusetts, in partnership with Beit Ahavah synagogue.
Through songs in English, Hebrew and Amharic, the performance connected Ethiopian and Jewish diasporas, pairing music with the story of Yalo’s cultural heritage.
LEARN MORERead the event story
Past eventThe New Immigrant ExperienceApril202124Explore eventClose detailsFelipe Salles and the Interconnections Ensemble combined music from a 19-piece ensemble with video to tell the stories of nine Dreamers protected by DACA.
A panel discussion with the composer and featured Dreamers gave context to the performance, inviting listeners to better understand the undocumented immigrant experience.
LEARN MORERead the event story
Past eventElio Villafranca & Jass SyncopatorsJune202110Explore eventClose detailsCuban pianist and composer Elio Villafranca presented Standing by the Crossroads with the six-piece Jass Syncopators as part of a Blues to Green residency.
The music brings jazz together with traditional Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Its crossroads theme draws on Villafranca’s experiences of cultural identity, artistic expression and choices between conflicting paths.
LEARN MORERead the event story
Explore our work through music, arts and community.
Watch on YouTubeCelebrating Charles Neville | Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival | Legacy Education Project | Arts for Racial & Climate Justice
01Charles Neville’s life and music inspired Blues to Green’s work. The organization shares his story through cultural storytelling and a legacy rooted in bringing people together.
Explore his journey, from growing up in the segregated South to the Neville Brothers and the community work that carries his legacy forward.
02The festival is a free downtown celebration of music, arts and community, presented by Blues to Green. Its focus on the African diaspora connects cultural pride with racial justice.
Workshops, educational programs and public conversations extend the music into learning, dialogue and community connection.
03The Legacy Education Project brings musicians into Springfield public schools, using music to bring history and literature of the African diaspora to life.
The program centers the contributions of Black people and the connections between music, cultural heritage and social justice.
04This program brings music of the African diaspora together with talks, advocacy, arts activities and film to explore racial and climate justice.
Its past gatherings connect cultural heritage with resilience, sustainability and community understanding. Open the program page to explore the stories behind them.
Explore festival event-day support, year-round volunteer roles and opportunities to help Blues to Green’s work.
Explore the organization’s annual report.
Inspired by the life and music of the legendary Charles Neville, the mission of Blues to Green is to utilize music and other arts to center the cultures of the African diaspora within American culture, nurture personal freedom, strengthen multicultural community, and catalyze action for racial and climate justice.
Meet Blues to Green