ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — The Mulberry Music Festival, held on June 20, 2025, at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, drew crowds to the Townhouse Green for a vibrant celebration of music, family activities, and a fireworks display on the eve of Juneteenth. The event, featuring performances by Dumpstaphunk, Carly Harvey, and the Kelly Bell Band, marked the final festival under the leadership of President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, who announced her retirement effective June 30, 2025.
The festival, a cornerstone of Jordan’s vision to foster community through music, showcased her commitment to creativity and inclusivity. “At St. Mary’s College, we value our liberal arts foundation – the diversity of thought and expression, creativity, and respect for self and others,” Jordan said. “We teach students how to express themselves in order to add color and life to our world in a way that only each unique individual can. In this spirit of creativity, I initiated the Mulberry Music Festival in order to bring people together around the universal language that is music.”
Dumpstaphunk, a New Orleans funk-fusion band, headlined the event with their signature soulful harmonies and complex arrangements. Led by Ivan Neville and Ian Neville, sons of Aaron Neville and Art “Poppa Funk” Neville, the group featured new members like Deven Trusclair on drums and Viveca Hawkins on vocals, following the 2024 passing of co-founder Nick Daniels III. Their storied career includes collaborations with artists such as Carlos Santana and an opening performance for the Rolling Stones at the New Orleans Mercedes-Benz Superdome in 2019.
Carly Harvey, a 2007 graduate of St. Mary’s College, performed her Afro-Indigenous blues fusion. Dubbed “D.C.’s Queen of the Blues” by WPFW Radio’s Dr. Nick Johnson, Harvey’s debut album, Kamama, reflects her roots and the healing power of music. Her set blended blues, jazz, soul, and Indigenous American styles, captivating attendees with her commanding presence.
The Kelly Bell Band, led by Baltimore’s Kelly Bell, delivered a genre-expanding mix of hip-hop, funk, and blues. Blues Revue Magazine praised them as “among the most genre-expanding acts on today’s blues scene.” Bell’s local prominence, bolstered by radio, television, and film appearances, energized the crowd.
Jordan’s Final Festival
The 2025 Mulberry Music Festival was a fitting capstone to Jordan’s 11-year tenure as president, during which she championed access, diversity, and community engagement. Jordan, who announced her retirement on May 10, 2024, reflected on her decade of leadership: “Ten years ago, I said ‘now is the time’—the time to become a model of what higher education can achieve, the time for us—the invisible—to become visible,” she said. “I am immensely proud of our shared accomplishments, including the increasing diversity of our student body, steady enrollment growth, curricular and co-curricular innovations, the focus on an expanding campus culture where everyone can thrive, and deeper partnerships with the broader community.” The festival, which she founded in 2019, embodied her vision of uniting diverse groups through music, leaving a lasting legacy as she prepares to step down on June 30, 2025.
Beyond music, the festival offered a free Kid Zone featuring face painting, glitter and henna tattoos, hula hoops, and a bubbles station, keeping families engaged throughout the evening. Local vendors, including Blue Wind, Calvert Crabs, and Cousins Maine Lobster, served mulberry-infused treats like lemonade, cocktails, and freeze-dried candy. Attendees brought lawn chairs, blankets, and food; however, pets were not allowed. A fireworks display illuminated the sky above the Townhouse Green, closing the night.
Launched in 2019 with a gospel theme featuring Jason Nelson, the Mulberry Music Festival has grown into an annual tradition commemorating Juneteenth. St. Mary’s College, a public liberal arts institution, emphasizes diversity and creative expression, values reflected in the festival’s diverse lineup and inclusive activities. The June 20 event underscored Jordan’s impact, uniting the community in a celebration of music and culture.
