Juneteenth Fest brings ‘Jazz ’n’ Ribs’ to Hampton Roads

As a way to bring people together and celebrate the freedom heralded by Juneteenth, Karin McKinney is bringing the “Jazz ’n’ Ribs” concept to Chesapeake City Park.

The Jazz ’n’ Ribs concerts are the ticketed component of the 13th annual Juneteenth Festival, which runs today through Sunday. It’s organized by the Hampton Roads Juneteenth Festival in conjunction with the Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Department and Chesapeake City Councilman Bryan L. Collins.

“I’ve been trying to conceive this in the area for years; now it berths at Chesapeake City Park,” said Mc­Kinney, Juneteenth Festival project director and executive director of Full Force Entertainment, the force behind Jazz ’n’ Ribs. “This is very popular in the Midwest, like Kansas City and Chicago, routinely packing grounds with 40 to 50 thousand people. The city was looking for this type of jazz event and celebration. It was good timing, and it all fell in place. We’re finally bringing Jazz ’n’ Ribs to Chesapeake.”

The festival brings in headliner Nick Colionne (see story at right), and popular smooth jazz artists sax man Jackiem Joyner (a Norfolk native), trumpeter Tom Browne and gospel jazz musician Mel Holder along with popular regional acts RaJazz, Forte featuring Brian Pinner, Juju and Reggie Gist.

And while folks groove to smooth jazz, R&B, soul and gospel all weekend, they’ll also be able to avail themselves of food from 10 vendors from Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland who will serve up ribs, fish, crab cakes, gyros, shish kebabs and other delights.

“We want everybody to not cook, come out this weekend and enjoy good music and good food,” McKinney said.

The celebration’s free portion will feature activities and events including a basketball tournament, farmers market, puppets, worship and prayer services, a bookmobile, a health-athon, karaoke and dance competitions, and card and board games.

The festival, which commemorates the end of legalized slavery in the United States, is “a regional event that celebrates a shared heritage and reflects the fact that diversity is the foundation of strong communities,” the city’s news release states.

And while reflecting on the area’s freedoms and diversity, folks can enjoy a little jazz and ribs, too.

Eric Feber, 222-5203, eric.feber@pilotonline.com