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9th Annual Ocean City Jazz Festival July 6 – July 8

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

North Topsail Beach, NC – The Ocean City Community at North Topsail Beach and its non-profit organization, the Ocean City Beach Citizens Council, presents the ninth annual Ocean City Jazz Festival (OCJF). The community founded in 1949, is one of North Carolina’s first African American coastal communities. 

The festival will start with a kickoff party sponsored by Shoe Crazy Wine on Friday, July 6, 2018 at 7 pm. Donald DJ Smooth Jazz and jazz duo, Jazadeux will provide entertainment at the Kickoff Party. This event is free to festival ticket holders. The festival performances will take place July 7th and 8th, with performances in the historic Ocean City Community at the corner of Island Drive and Carver Street. All shows start at 5 pm.

As it has in previous years, the festival boasts an incredible lineup of talent that caters to both jazz purist and lovers of contemporary jazz. This year’s artists include the Skip Walker Band featuring Kia Walker, Derrick Gardner with the John Brown Quintet, Karen Briggs, Julian Vaughn, Warren Wolfe with the John Brown Quintet, Althea Rene and Elan Trotman.

The Ocean City Jazz Festival will again utilize a pavilion tent and provide comfortable seating for its attendees.

OCJF has become an annual celebration for jazz-minded adults where the components of great beaches, great food from food truck vendors, the historic community and the gold standard in jazz performers integrate seamlessly into what is call the “Ocean City Experience.”

The festival is the community’s signature event and proceeds are used for preservation of the historic Ocean City Community, promotion of the history of the Ocean City community and it significance to the state, foster music education by underwriting jazz workshops and mentoring programs with master musicians for local students, underwriting of festival costs including performances by local and national musicians.

William Hubbard, amazing poster artist, will be on site. William has been an art instructor at John T. Hoggard High School since 2006, as well as a professional painter and sculptor.

In addition to OCJF’s great lineup, the festival will provide an assortment of beverages and a silent auction. For tickets, lineup and additional information visit www.oceancityjazzfest.com.