Five Points Jazz Festival 2024: Everything You Need to Know

Five Points Jazz Festival is back! Welton Street will come alive from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, with jazz, blues, shopping, food and booze as the annual free event returns to the area once known as the "Harlem of the West."

"We are bringing up to 70,000 people into Five Points in a day, which is great for local businesses and also introduces people to a very important neighborhood in Denver that they may be unfamiliar with," says Sonia Rae, who helps organize the event as cultural affairs program manager at Denver Arts & Venues. "Our hope is that people will want to attend this festival and want to come back. There is jazz on Welton Street almost every weekend, so we want to encourage people to explore the area and return after the festival."

With the event just a few days away, Rae gave Westword the lowdown on everything you need to know to enjoy the 2024 Five Points Jazz Festival.

Five Points Jazz Festival Parade Route and Start Time

The parade will start at noon on Saturday, June 8, and proceed down Welton Street from 29th Street to 25th Street. The Otone Brass Band will lead the parade, with grand marshals Cleo Parker Robinson of Cleo Park Robinson Dance and Carlos Lando of KUVO, to the Denver Arts & Venues Stage at 25th and Welton streets, where the band will perform to kick off the festival.

Denver Light Rail, Parking and Road Closures

Several streets in the Five Points neighborhood will be closed for setting up the festival and the event itself. Welton Street between Park Avenue West and 30th Street will close at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 7, and all metered parking in the area will be unavailable from Friday morning until noon on Sunday, June 9, when the cleanup is completed.

Because of RTD's Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, the intersection of Broadway and Welton Street will also be closed to all vehicle traffic, the light rail will be shuttered and there will be limited bus service in the area. Rae suggests that attendees use "rideshare services, the area's paid parking options or a bicycle or scooter" to get to the festival.

She advises that people who drive use the parking lots "on Park Avenue off Welton." For cyclists, there will be secure bike parking off Welton Street that will be fenced off and monitored by local Boy Scouts.

How to Easily Enter Five Points Jazz Fest

There are several entrances, each with security checks; find them on both sides of 25th and Welton streets, 26th and Welton streets, and 28th and Welton streets. The event gates open at 11:30 a.m., and outdoor activities continue until 8 p.m., with additional events indoors taking place until 11 p.m.

Check out the list of prohibited items, and keep in mind that any item brought into the festival is subject to search. One thing that is not prohibited is water, thankfully. "We are allowing people to bring in two sealed water bottles, and I recommend folks do that," Rae says. "We’re also asking folks to leave their dogs at home unless they're service animals. There are going to be 70,000 people on the street, and it would be kinder for your pet if you left them at home."

Five Points Jazz Festival Activities and Schedule

Following the parade, the festival will showcase a wide variety of entertainment on multiple stages. Attendees can enjoy performances by a diverse lineup of jazz musicians, explore various food vendors and browse local artisan booths, all while immersed in the rich cultural atmosphere of Five Points.

Parade (from 29th to 25th along Welton Street)
Noon to 12:15 p.m. Otone Brass Band

Denver Arts & Venues Stage (25th and Welton streets)
12:15 to 1 p.m. Otone Brass Band
1:45 to 2:45 p.m. Charles Blenzig & Simple Math
3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Linda Theus-Lee's "Vocal Musical Journey"
5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Brian Claxton Quartet
6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Hugh Ragin and the Messengers of Peace

White Claw Hard Seltzer Stage (29th and Welton streets)
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Colorado Repertory Jazz Orchestra
2 to 3 p.m. Creative Love Happening
3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Danette & the Good Guys
5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Purnell Steen and the Five Points Ambassadors
7 to 8 p.m. Buckner Funken Jazz

United Airlines Stage (27th and California streets)
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The Renwick Brothers
2 to 3 p.m. Harry Drabkin Quartet
3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Clare Church Quartet
5 to 6 p.m. Electric Giz
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tenia Nelson Trio (TNT!)

George Morrison Stage (Five Points Plaza, Welton Street between 27th and 28th streets)
12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Bill Kopper Quintet
2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Ritmo Jazz Latino
3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Donna Scott Quintet
5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Jonathan Powell Latin Jazz Septet
6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Jack Hadley Band

Spangalang Brewery (2736 Welton Street)
8 to 11 p.m. Beasts of No Nation

TeaLee's Tea House and Bookstore (611 22nd Street)
8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jakarta
9:45 to 10:45 p.m. Jakarta

The Lydian (2590 Welton Street)
3 to 4 p.m. David Bernot Organ Trio
4 to 5 p.m. Felix Ayodele

715 Club (715 East 26th Avenue)
4 to 8:00 p.m. Bigwheel Electrosoul

Welton Room (2590 Welton Street)
8 to 9 p.m. Laurie D. Jazz Duo
9 to 10 p.m. Camilla Vaitaitis
10 to 11 p.m. Laurie D. Jazz Duo

The Marigold (2721 Welton Street)
Noon to 1:30 p.m. Domi Edson Trio

Go Get Jazzy!

In addition to the numerous musicians around multiple stages, there will be food vendors and you can explore local Five Points businesses. To help navigate the festival, visitors can use an interactive Google Map.

"The sign of a successful festival is if there are more great bands playing than you can possibly see, and that's kind of how I feel about this one," Rae says. "We are completely committed to making this festival’s celebration of jazz accessible for all of Denver, so you should come on down. It's a fun, family-friendly event showcasing the amazing musicians who live and work in the area."

Find more information on all events at the Denver Arts & Venues website.