St. Clement’s Island Museum features New Exhibit: “The Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival Celebrates 20 Years of Smooth Jazz”

Temporary Exhibit Open Now Through July 14, 2019

News Release, St. Mary’s County Public Information Office

Leonardtown, MD – The St. Clements Island Museum in Colton’s Point is now home to a new temporary exhibit celebrating 20 years of the Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival in 2019. The 20^th Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival, expanded from a one-day event to a three-day 20^th anniversary weekend celebration in partnership with the Town of Leonardtown and Visit St. Mary’s MD, is set to occur July 12-14, 2019 and will feature a plethora of jazz activities, music, seafood and more all weekend long.

The Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival is the primary fundraising event for the Friends of the St. Clement’s Island & Piney Point Museums, the non-profit organization that supports the efforts of the St. Mary’s County Museum Division. The first concert, held in 1999, featured jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd. The following year the event expanded to include local seafood vendors and three jazz artists.

Fast forward 20 years and the festival has become known as one of the mid-Atlantic’s signature jazz events. This popular, annual festival, known for showcasing local culinary delicacies of Maryland’s Mother County and spotlighting renowned, national jazz talent, draws close to 1,000 jazz enthusiasts from around the region every year. The 20th anniversary weekend, billed as “A Soulful Summer Serenade,” is anticipated to be even bigger, as the Festival will now include a series of jazz-themed events throughout Leonardtown. These will include jazz brunches, after parties, art shows and more.

The exhibit, open now through July 14, 2019, will feature photos highlighting some of the many jazz artists who have performed at the festival over the years. Signed posters and other memorabilia will also be available for viewing.  Groovespan, a local jazz band performing during this year’s special 20^th anniversary weekend, will have their instruments on exhibit. For more information regarding the exhibit, please call 301-769-2222.

Tickets and discount hotel packages are now available on the festival’s new website, www.PotomacJazzandSeafoodFestival.com, as well as on the event’s Facebook page. There, additional information about the weekend’s events can be found. The public is encouraged to check the website and Facebook page often as new information is updated weekly.

Proceeds from the event go toward funding the nonprofit Friends of St. Clement’s Island & Piney Point Museums’ mission of supporting the museums and historic sites under the care of the St. Mary’s County Museum Division. The event’s major partners include the Friends of St. Clement’s Island & Piney Point Museums, St. Mary’s County Museum Division, Town of Leonardtown and Visit St. Mary’s MD.

For more information regarding the festival, to view promotional videos, purchase tickets or packages, please visit www.PotomacJazzandSeafoodFestival.com. This event was made possible in part by a grant from the St. Mary’s County Arts Council, awarded by the Maryland State Arts Council.