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Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival

Workshops & Special Events

Explore public talks, interactive learning, storytelling, and special festival experiences happening during festival weekend.

Workshops take place at 31 Elm Community Room unless otherwise noted.

Public Talk

Etienne Charles: Gullah Roots

Artist Conversation

3:15–4:30 PM · 31 Elm Community Room

A public conversation on Gullah history, cultural memory, and the stories inside the music.

Artist Conversation

3:15–4:30 PM · 31 Elm Community Room

Etienne Charles joins a Gullah historian and local moderator for a conversation on the history, traditions, and cultural legacy behind Gullah Roots. Through storytelling, listening, and audience Q&A, this public talk offers a deeper look at how memory, migration, and African-descended traditions live inside the music.

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Interactive Workshop

Zaccai Curtis — Cubop Lives!

Hands-On Music Workshop

2:00–3:00 PM · 31 Elm Community Room

An interactive session exploring Afro-Caribbean rhythm, jazz, and the roots of Cubop.

Hands-On Music Workshop

2:00–3:00 PM · 31 Elm Community Room

Grammy Award-winning pianist Zaccai Curtis leads a lively workshop on the musical language of Afro-Caribbean jazz. Through demonstration, conversation, and audience participation, participants will explore rhythm, improvisation, and the deep cultural connections between Afro-Cuban traditions and jazz.

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Stories & Songs

All the Rivers

Storytelling Performance

5:00–6:15 PM · 31 Elm Community Room

Immigrant artists share music, personal stories, and the traditions that shape their sound.

Storytelling Performance

5:00–6:15 PM · 31 Elm Community Room

All the Rivers brings together live performance and personal storytelling in a program shaped by migration, memory, and belonging. Featuring members of the ensemble sharing songs and lived experience, this session invites audiences into the cultural roots, languages, and journeys behind the music.

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Film Screening

Beyond the Storm

Documentary Screening

July 11, 2026 · Time TBD · HOPE Center for the Arts

A short documentary on climate justice, migration, and Puerto Rican community resilience in Western Massachusetts.

Documentary Screening

July 11, 2026 · Time TBD · HOPE Center for the Arts

Beyond the Storm is a short documentary from Blues To Green exploring climate justice through the lived experiences of Puerto Rican families in Holyoke and Springfield. The film traces migration, cultural continuity, and community-led resilience in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, showing how climate change is lived through homes, neighborhoods, memory, and everyday care.

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New Location!

The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival takes place on July 10 - 11th, 2026 at Court Square.

About Us

This festival is produced by Blues To Green, a nonprofit organization that harnesses music and the arts to celebrate community and culture, build shared purpose, and catalyze social and environmental change.
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Copyright © 2026 Blues To Green Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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