The Syracuse Jazz Festival, Syracuse (NY), USA

The best-selling jazz musician of all time and an icon of the psychedelic Sixties will headline the 30th anniversary M&T Bank Syracuse Jazz Festival when Kenny G and Donovan perform at Jamesville Beach in Central New York on June 22 and 23, respectively. “Our headliners are household names,” says Executive Director Frank Malfitano. “But we also have some rising stars, some fan favorites and a couple blasts from the past. I hope people enjoy our incredibly diverse lineup.” He adds, “We are not a concert, but rather an all-day festival with many groups performing.” The festival is free and open to the public; and all events are non-ticketed. It also has an open seating policy. With no VIP seating area and no reserved seating area, the festival’s seating policy is first come-first seated.

The fact that the festival has lasted three decades puts it in rarefied company among the longest-running American music festivals. That select group includes the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Detroit International Jazz Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival, which celebrates its 58th year this summer. For a weekend of guaranteed fun and memorable jazz, make sure you visit Syracuse, New York on June 22 and 23 – for the 30th annual Syracuse Jazz Festival.