Montclair Jazz Festival Downtown Jamboree Returning for 2025 on 9/13

Summer may be over, but there’s still time for outdoor activities galore. One thing that locals look forward to each year is the annual Montclair Jazz Festival, which has returned once again for 2025. This year’s schedule of events kicked off on Sunday, June 1st, and continued through the summer, leading up to the Downtown Jamboree happening on September 13th at Lackawanna Station. With a history that dates back to 2010, Jazz House Kids has been hosting these events each year. Read on for all of the details about the 2025 Montclair Jazz Festival in New Jersey, and more about the Downtown Jamboree happening on September 13th.

Photo Credit: Montclair Jazz Festival

Montclair Jazz Festival Details

Jazz House Kids is back with its annual Montclair Jazz Festival, which features several jazz-themed events and live music performances taking place around Montclair. The events throughout the summer lead up to the main event in September — the Downtown Jamboree. This year’s events are a part of the Wellmont Arts Plaza Outdoor Concert Series in collaboration with The Wellmont Theater and the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Read More: A Guide to Live Music Spots in Montclair + Essex County

This year’s event lineup is as follows:

• 6/1: Swingin’ on the Plaza: Montclair Jazz Festival Kick-Off Concert
• 6/7: Montclair Jam Fest with Waterbury Road
• 6/12: Montclair Jazz Festival Soundcheck Series
• 6/25: DJ Logic + Friends Featuring Cyro Baptista, Billy Martin, Brian Marsella, + Jason Fraticelli
• 7/9: Grateful for Biggie: A Fusion of the Notorious B.I.G. + Grateful Dead
• 7/30: Montclair Jazz Festival Soundcheck Series
• 8/7: Glass Houses: The Billy Joel Concert Experience with All Fired Up: The Pat Benetar Experience
• 8/16: Jazz House Summer Workshop Showcase
• 8/20: Montclair Jazz Festival Soundcheck Series
• 9/13: Montclair Jazz Festival Downtown Jamboree + Block Party

The Downtown Jamboree

The Downtown Jamboree is the main event of the festival, which will take place on Saturday, September 13th, 2025 from 12PM-8PM at Lackawanna Station in Montclair. The family-friendly celebration of jazz will feature eight hours of live music, as well as a selection of food and merchandise.

Headliners for the event include The Gotham Kings, led by trumpeter and two-time GRAMMY winner Alphonso Horne; acclaimed saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, who combines jazz, R&B, and funk; the multi-award-winning vocalist Jazzmeia Horn; and Christian McBride’s Ursa Major, the nine-time GRAMMY winner’s bold, multi-generational quintet.

The music schedule is as follows:

McBride’s World at Sea Main Stage

• 12PM-1PM: JAZZ HOUSE Collective Celebrates James Moody
• 1:30PM-2:30PM: José James Presents 1978: Revenge of The Dragon
• 3PM-4:15PM: Christian McBride + Ursa Major
• 4:45PM-5:50PM: Luisito Quintero + 3rd Element
• 6:30PM-7:45PM: Lakecia Benjamin + Phoenix

Emerging Artist Uptown Stage

• 12PM-12:45PM: Violet Mujica Quartet
• 1PM-1:45PM: Desmond Diehl Trio
• 2PM-2:45PM: Music on the Inside (MOTI)
• 3PM-3:45PM: Nick Mikhail Quartet
• 4PM-4:45PM: Jacquie Lee Quartet
• 5PM-5:45PM: Jailin Shiver Quartet
• 6PM-7PM: JAZZ HOUSE All-Stars

There will be over 150+ artisan and food vendors in the Rao’s Homemade Marketplace and NJEDA Vendor Village. Attendees can also look forward to specialty jazz cocktails from Allied Beverage brands, the official 2025 Montclair Jazz Brew from Montclair Brewery at Jazz Bars, a Family Jazz Discovery Zone, and more.

The event will be followed by a Block Party from 8PM-10PM, featuring DJ Brother Mister (aka Christian McBride) at the McBride’s World at Sea Main Stage.

More details can be found on the Montclair Jazz Festival’s website.