Music, culture and community.

Join Blues to Green for the next Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival on July 9–10, 2027. This annual celebration brings music of the African diaspora into the heart of Springfield, connecting the city’s diverse cultural communities through music, arts, education and shared celebration.

The festival is part of Blues to Green’s year-round work: celebrating cultural heritage, supporting youth learning, and bringing people together through the arts. Visit the festival website for updates as the next edition takes shape.

The 2026 festival took place July 10–11 at Court Square, downtown Springfield. A gathering rooted in music, culture and community, it brought the spirit of jazz and roots music into the heart of the city.

This past edition belongs to a continuing story: Blues to Green bringing people together through the music of the African diaspora and the shared language of the arts.

Blues to Green and HOPE Center for the Arts co-presented this New Orleans all-star benefit for the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival at HOPE Center, 150 Bridge Street, Springfield.

The lineup brought together Cyril Neville, Omari Neville, Ian Neville, Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr., Jelly Joseph, Robert Mercurio, Joe Ashlar and Brian Richburg Jr., with project director Martin Shore. Inspired by the Take Me to the River film and album, the concert celebrated New Orleans musical heritage while supporting the free festival.

Blues to Green and Springfield Performing Arts Ventures, Inc. co-presented Fat Tuesday Jazz Night at 52 Sumner Avenue in Springfield, a Mardi Gras fundraiser supporting Blues to Green’s arts and community programs.

Badia Farha presented From Ella to Amy, followed by Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils with New Orleans-inspired jazz, funk and Mardi Gras music. Chef Wayne provided Creole and Cajun cuisine.

The 2025 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival took place July 11–12, 2025, bringing music and community together in downtown Springfield.

The 2024 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival took place July 12–13, 2024, bringing music and community together in downtown Springfield.

Jazz & Justice programming included a Second Line dance workshop with Tracey Thomas and a Digital Storytelling Space at Tower Square exploring Arts for Racial & Climate Justice.

Charles Neville’s life and music inspired Blues to Green’s work. The organization shares his story through cultural storytelling and a legacy rooted in bringing people together.

Explore his journey, from growing up in the segregated South to the Neville Brothers and the community work that carries his legacy forward.

The festival is a free downtown celebration of music, arts and community, presented by Blues to Green. Its focus on the African diaspora connects cultural pride with racial justice.

Workshops, educational programs and public conversations extend the music into learning, dialogue and community connection.

The Legacy Education Project brings visiting musicians into Springfield and Holyoke schools to explore music, history, culture and identity through the traditions of the African diaspora.

Each artist shares their lived experience, cultural heritage and musical knowledge, engaging students in contemporary issues and encouraging creativity and critical thought.

Blues to Green is also creating a video archive and developing a curriculum for an online, downloadable version of the Legacy Education Project.

This program brings music of the African diaspora together with talks, advocacy, arts activities and film to explore racial and climate justice.

Its past gatherings connect cultural heritage with resilience, sustainability and community understanding. Open the program page to explore the stories behind them.