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The 17th annual MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL has been selected by the Smithsonian Institution as a collaborating festival for “Of The People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals,” commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Produced by nationally acclaimed arts organization JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, the 2026 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL will return to downtown Montclair, New Jersey, with events all summer long — culminating in the Downtown Jamboree + Block Party on Saturday, August 15, 2026. The festival will also honor the centennial celebrations of jazz legends Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

For this historic milestone, the Smithsonian is taking its longest-running public program, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, beyond Washington, D.C., and into communities nationwide. Montclair is among a select number of cities chosen to host this special collaboration, amplifying how festivals serve as enduring platforms for civic engagement and cultural exchange during the nation’s semiquincentennial.

“Since its inception in 2010, the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL has beautifully demonstrated the social power of music—its fundamental ability to connect, educate, and entertain,” said Sabrina Lynn Motley, director of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Under the leadership of JAZZ HOUSE KiDS Founder and President Melissa Walker and festival artistic director, 11-time GRAMMY winner Christian McBride, this year’s festival expands into a summer-long celebration. A newly launched five-week Soundcheck Series will take place on Tuesday evenings throughout June, July, and August at the Wellmont Arts Plaza, leading up to the signature Downtown Jamboree + Block Party at the historic eight-acre Lackawanna Plaza.

Walker emphasized the deeper meaning behind the collaboration, noting that jazz — America’s original art form — offers powerful lessons in innovation, listening, and unity at a pivotal time in the nation’s history.

In addition to marking the country’s 250th anniversary, the festival will celebrate the 100-year legacies of Miles Davis and John Coltrane through special tribute performances and commemorative artwork by visual artist Andres Chaparro. McBride has curated a lineup that highlights major American jazz cities that have shaped the nation’s cultural story, including New York City/Newark, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and New Orleans.

Among the first confirmed performers, the Take Me to the River All-Stars — featuring Cyril Neville, Omari Neville, Ian Neville, and Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. — will honor New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. Christian McBride and his GRAMMY-winning Big Band will pay tribute to Philadelphia, while the two-time GRAMMY-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra will represent New York City’s vibrant Latin jazz tradition. Additional artists will be announced in the coming months.

From its beginnings in 2010 as a student summer concert in Montclair’s Nishuane Park attended by a few hundred supporters, the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL has grown into the region’s largest free outdoor jazz festival. The 2025 edition drew more than 30,000 attendees, marking the largest crowd in festival history.

Beyond its marquee performances, the festival continues to reflect JAZZ HOUSE KiDS’ mission of transforming lives through jazz education, access, and community-building. The Downtown Jamboree’s Main Stage will spotlight talent from America’s historic jazz cities, while the JAZZ HOUSE Stage will feature emerging artists from its New Jersey and New York City programs, including the acclaimed JAZZ HOUSE All-Stars and the JAZZ HOUSE Collective honoring Davis and Coltrane.

As the nation prepares to commemorate 250 years, the 2026 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL stands as both celebration and reflection — using jazz’s enduring spirit of freedom to connect communities, honor history, and imagine what comes next.