Whether you are looking for the upbeat rhythms of a jazz saxophone or the somber tones of a blues singer, the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival delights visitors with soulful talent every year.
This year’s festival, which takes place June 14-16, marks 25 years of live entertainment, food and art. Lori Kappes, executive director of Visit Gahanna, says there will be big names coming to town for the three-day signature event to commemorate the occasion.
Beyond the roughly 30 artists and groups performing, the festival features food and other fun and family-friendly activities throughout Creekside Park and Plaza.
Toes tapping, hands clapping
creekside blues & jazz festival
The festival offers a range of music outside of just blues and jazz: funk, rock, soul, bluegrass and more. Performances take place across three stages: the Jazz Stage, Blues Stage and Community Stage.
“The spirit of the festival has always been to spotlight local artists, but also bring artists that you wouldn’t get the chance to see without this festival,” says Visit Gahanna Marketing and Communications Manager Jarod White.
The Jazz and Blues stages feature an array of local, regional and national performers, while the Community Stage features talent found here in central Ohio. Over the years, the festival has featured such big names as award-winning blues artist Zac Harmon and B.B. King collaborator Lil’ Jimmy Reed.
This year’s line-up includes the Brooklyn-based Brass Queens, award-winning Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind and Blues Hall of Fame inductees Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials. Among the local performers on the bill are Honey and Blue, as well as some groups that have expanded their reach, such as Huntertones and MojoFlo.
Food, arts and fun
With more than 20 different food vendors, there is no shortage of dining options.
“We make sure that there are not duplicate kinds of cuisines,” Kappes says. “So there’s just a little bit of everything for everyone.”
These tastes range from festival fan favorites such as corn dogs and funnel cakes to wok-fired soba noodles from Island Noodles. Local favorites Schmidt’s Sausage Haus and Donna’s Delicious Dozen also offer sweet treats.
Beverages are supplied by Gahanna businesses including Noble Cut Distillery, Edison Brewing Company and High Bank Distillery, as well as cocktail mixers from Simple Times Mixers.
Looking for a kid-friendly space? Check out the Music Discovery Area, where children can familiarize themselves with different musical instruments and genres. This year it will eb featured on both Saturday and Sunday.
Then there are the murals, featured in the Open Art Studio in partnership with the Gahanna Area Arts Council. Since 2021, the studio has contributed a space for local artists to create 8-foot pieces of art live during the festival.
The Arts Council, Jazz Arts Group of Columbus and Columbus Blues Alliance are just some of the partners and sponsors that help make the festival possible.
“We couldn’t do it without the sponsors and, also, the volunteers,” Kappes says. “We have a lot of volunteers to pull this event off.”
Look back and to the future
CBJF_25thAnniversary
Visit Gahanna’s approach to the festival has evolved significantly over the past 25 years.
One notable change was the inclusion of tents over the stages and viewing areas to help protect visitors and performers from the elements.
Accommodations have also been made to meet growing visitor counts. What started as a half-day event celebrating Gahanna’s Creekside Park opening in 1999 now draws more than 25,000 visitors to the Creekside District and Park each year.
No matter how large the event may seem, Kappes has always heard great things from festivalgoers.
“I’ve heard multiple people say that they really enjoy the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival in Gahanna because it feels doable,” Kappes says. “It is not this huge thing where you have to walk for blocks and blocks and blocks. … It’s smaller, but also great because there’s world-class talent and great cuisines.”
As someone who grew up attending the festival himself, White agrees with many of those sentiments and hopes it will never lose its local feel.
“There’s something cool (about the fact) that you’re outside and it’s a footprint within the Creekside District. And it’s accessible to a lot of different people,” White says. “Wherever you are, you hear the music and you can live in that world for however long you’re here for.”
Tips and Tricks
As you plan your trip, there are a lot of things to think about. Here are a few things you should know before you go.
- Prices for tickets vary depending on age. Children under age 10 and military personnel (active and retired) can enter for free.
- Tickets can be purchased for individual days, while a Weekend Pass offers access to all three days for the price of two.
- Free parking is available at the AEP Ohio location on Morrison Road, and there is limited parking at the Creekside Parking Garage which costs $5 per car. With the AEP Parking, free shuttles will take people right to the festival and will continuously throughout the festival, starting an hour before and continuing well after the last performer.
For more information and tips about the event, from hotel recommendations to places to eat and drink, check out the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival website at www.creeksidebluesandjazz.com.
Ride the Water
Thanks to the Columbus Academy, there will be free kayaking trips along Big Walnut Creek throughout the festival, offering a fun way to catch your favorite performers.
“If you are on Big Walnut Creek in a kayak, you can hear the music from the Community Stage and probably even from the Jazz Stage,” says Visit Gahanna Executive Director Lori Kappes.
Rachel Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
