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The Cool Blues Show and Fort Langley Jazz Festival

Cool Blues Show at the Fort Langley Jazz Festival

Metro Vancouver’s Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival features live music, art displays, free concerts, ticketed events and family-friendly activities.

In 2024 the festival runs from July 26th to 28th.

A new event last year was the Cool Blues Show which took place at Fort Langley Community Park. In 2024 the Cool Blues Show happens on July 26th at the same venue, and one of its headliner bands is Tom Lavin and the Legendary Powder Blues! (TIP: During the month of March, you can get two tickets for $105 instead of $120. That’s a $15 discount!)

For details about the festival in general, see below or visit the official Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival website.

 

Fort Langley Jazz Festival

 


COOL BLUES SHOW

The second edition of the Cool Blues Show takes place on Friday, July 26th in 2024. The event features great live music as well as food trucks, art installations, a beer garden and more at Fort Langley Community Park.

Artists performing at the Cool Blues Show in 2024 include Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, Rick Estrin and The Nightcats, Silent Partners, and Tom Lavin and the Legendary Powder Blues.

For tickets and more information about the festivities on July 26th, visit the fortlangleyjazzfest.com website.


 

2024 Cool Blues Show Headliner Bands
(4 Out of 5) Headliner Bands in 2024

 

Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival

In 2024 the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival runs from Friday, July 26th, until Sunday, July 28th. The festival happens in Fort Langley which is a beautiful historic village.

The first event last year was the Big Band Swing Dance fundraiser at Fort Langley Community Hall. It featured a silent auction and music by The Dal Richards Orchestra. A similar fundraiser is happening at the same venue in 2024. This year’s event is the Tribute to Motown & More at 8:00 pm on Friday, May 3rd. It features music with Big City Soul, along with the usual dancing and silent auction (with proceeds supporting the festival in July).

Then, between May 26th and July 14th in 2024, there’s the Youth Concert Series Showcase. It’s a set of free performances by local jazz bands outside the Fort Langley Historic CNR Station leading up to the festival.

On the first day of the actual festival in 2024, so on Friday, July 26th, there’s the Cool Blues Show at Fort Langley Community Park. It’s a ticketed event starting at 5:00 pm with headliners such as Rick Estrin and The Nightcats and Tom Lavin and the Legendary Powder Blues Band. The one-day event also offers a beer garden, food trucks, market vendors, games and more.

The Big Band Community Concert returns this year as well, along with the Mardi Gras Strolling Parade. There’s also lots of free concerts to enjoy on outdoor stages throughout the weekend. Expect to see activities for kids, market vendors, art workshops and more on the Saturday and Sunday.

 


For tickets and full details, see the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival website.


 

Fort Langley Jazz Festival
Fort Langley Community Hall

 

Mardi Gras Strolling Parade Video

A tradition at the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is the annual Mardi Gras Strolling Parade. In 2023 the event happened on Saturday, July 22nd at 9:30 am. Details about the 2024 parade are to be confirmed.

The following video of the parade was taken at the festival in 2020, so when it was scaled down due to COVID-19. It’ll give you a rough idea of what you can expect at this year’s event. It was a live march, but filmed in mid-August so it could be featured later as a virtual parade for 2020’s Jazz at Home event on the Labour Day Weekend.

As you’ll see in the video, a couple of dozen musicians and other characters in costume participated. The parade began in front of Fort Langley Community Hall. From there the procession went along Glover Road, into Gasoline Alley and down to the Fort Langley Heritage Train Station.

 

 

Art at the Festival

The Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival isn’t just a music festival. It’s also an arts festival. As a result, each year, local artists showcase their work at the event. This will likely be the case again in 2024, but with exact details to be confirmed.

In 2023 there was the Indigenous Art & Culture Exhibition at Bedford Plaza. This zone showcased local Indigenous art, cultural exhibits and music. There was also a presentation with Pow Wow drummers and dancers.

In 2023 there was also an Art Zone on the grassy area by the Fort Langley Post Office. Here there were art exhibits, workshops, arts & crafts stations and demonstrations. A stage with music featured too.

The same as the year before, in 2023 there was Art in the Garden presented by the Fort Langley Artist Group. It took place on the Saturday and Sunday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. It happened at 9054 Glover Road outside what used to be the Birthplace of BC Gallery. At this event visitors could admire a variety of art and interact with the artists.

 

Cool Blues Jazz Show

 

Other Information

To learn more about the art displays and concerts, visit the fortlangleyjazzfest.com website or see our main article about the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival.

To learn more about the area, see our articles about Fort Langley and the Fraser Valley.

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