PEACH WEEKENDER | SPECIAL EVENTS

Thousands expected at River Raisin Jazz Festival

8/10/2017
BLADE STAFF
  • NBR-PAGEANT10-12

    A photo from the 2015 River Raisin Jazz Festival at St. Mary's Park in Monroe.

    THE BLADE
    Buy This Image

    • The 16th annual River Raisin Jazz Festival is from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at St. Mary’s Park, W. Elm Ave., Monroe.

    Thousands of people are expected to converge on the park to hear 10 bands over two days at one of the region’s largest outdoor music festivals. Bands include the Ohio Players, Gerald Albright, Chris Standring, and Alexander Zonjic. Admission is free.

    Check out the latest Peach Weekender stories

    On Thursday, several Monroe clubs host the closing night of a weekly live jazz program that began May 18. On Friday, there will be a preview party with musicians Brent Stanley and Tony Guerrero starting at 6 p.m. at the park.

    For information, go to riverraisinjazzfestival.org. 

    ■ The final of four shows in the Black Swamp Blues Society’s Sizzling Summertime Blues Concert Series features high-octane Texas blues guitarist Chris Duarte and is at 8 p.m. Thursday at Club Soda, 3922 Secor Rd.

    Duarte won the “Best New Talent” award in the 1995 Guitar Player Reader’s Poll, and finished fourth that year in the magazine’s “Best Blues Guitarist” category behind Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King. Duarte plays more than 150 gigs a year, and has headlined major festivals and clubs across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

    Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at blackswampbluessociety.org. Doors open at 7 p.m.

    ■ The 40th annual two-day Maumee Summer Fair & Taste of Maumee begins at 5 p.m. Friday and continues until late Saturday.

    Sponsored by the Maumee Uptown Business Association, the event is in Maumee’s historic Uptown District along Conant Street.

    More than 200 arts, crafts, and commercial booths will be available. There also will be a Kid’s Zone, a classic car show, and family entertainment. Regional bands will perform for the 21-and-older crowd in the Beer Garden adjacent to food vendors. Saturday afternoon will include craft beer tastings.

    For information, go to maumeesummerfair.com.

    ■ The Grape Smugglers, a seven-piece band of Toledo musicians performing blues, rock, rhythm & blues, soul, and country, perform Friday night at Hensville Park, 406 Washington St., while Jon & Roman of the jam band Stonehouse will perform electric folk and country funk that night at Top of NINE Rooftop at Hensville, 9 N. St. Clair St.

    Admission is free to all of the shows, each of which have a scheduled start time of 9 p.m.

    ■ Barefoot at the Beach, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo’s 16th annual summer fund-raiser, will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at Maumee Bay State Park.

    Food from more than 20 restaurants will be offered. There also will be live music, bonfires, a wine bar, and fireworks. The event is for ages 21 and older.

    Tickets are $100. They can be purchased online at barefootatthebeach.org.