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One of Morris County’s best free summer traditions is coming back to downtown. The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival returns to the Morristown Green on Saturday, August 15, 2026, with a full day of live music that runs from noon until 10 p.m. Admission is free and no tickets are required, and this year’s closing headliner is now official: Grammy winner Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.
Mayor Tim Dougherty started the festival in 2011, and it has grown into one of the largest free music events in the region, pulling thousands of people onto the Green for an afternoon and evening of swing, Latin jazz, funk, and blues. The 2026 edition keeps that tradition going with five acts spread across the day, and again honors festival founders Linda Smith and Michael Fabrizio, who both passed away in 2021.
The 2026 Lineup
Festival producer Don Jay Smith has booked five sets, each running about 90 minutes:
- Noon to 1:30: James Langton New York All-Star Big Band featuring Dan Levinson, a big band tribute to the Swing Era sound of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, and Count Basie, with vocals from Molly Ryan.
- 2:00 to 3:30: Richard Baratta Gotham City Latin/Jazz Septet, marking the debut of Latin jazz on the festival stage. The Grammy nominated group is led by drummer and film producer Richard Baratta.
- 4:00 to 5:30: LaBamba and the Hubcaps, New Jersey’s own horn-driven mix of jazz, blues, and funk led by Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg, a longtime Conan O’Brien band member who got his start with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
- 6:00 to 7:30: Dylan Triplett, a rising blues talent out of St. Louis and a 2023 Blues Music Award winner known for a four and a half octave range.
- 8:00 to 9:30: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram closes the night. The Grammy Award winning blues guitarist, called a “rare 21st century guitar hero” by Rolling Stone, is one of the biggest names in modern blues.
Know Before You Go
The festival takes place right on the Morristown Green in the center of downtown. By design, there are no food vendors on site. Organizers encourage everyone to pack a picnic or grab a bite from the restaurants and shops around the Green, which stay busy all day long and often run specials throughout the festival. Public parking garages are available throughout town within walking distance.
The event is produced by Don Jay Smith of LKS Associates and supported by Mayor Tim Dougherty along with a long list of local sponsors.
If you are mapping out a summer of live music, the festival is one more reason Morristown stays loud all season. Our guide to 2026 summer festivals in Morris County has the full rundown, the Morris Museum’s Back Deck concert series runs through September 10, and two days before the festival, Art on the Lawn brings a free evening of art to the Morristown and Morris Township Library on August 13.
Bring a chair or a blanket, settle in, and plan to stay for the day. The music is free, the Green is open to all, and August 15 is shaping up to be a great one in Morristown.
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