National Jug Band Jubilee returns to Waterfront Park in September

National Jug Band Jubilee returns to Waterfront Park in September

LOUISVILLE, KY, (August 4, 2022) – It’s been a while since fans of the National Jug Band Jubilee got to dance to the rhythm of jug band music on the banks of the Ohio River. The free, all-day festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the festival that celebrates all things jug band is coming back for 2022!

The 2022 National Jug Band Jubilee will take place on Saturday, September 24 at the Brown- Forman Amphitheater in Waterfront Park, from Noon to 9 p.m. GRAMMY-nominated blues artist Jontavious Willis is the festival headliner. Perennial favorites the Juggernaut Jug Band and the Cincinnati Dancing Pigs are also set to perform. The complete line-up is as follows:

• –  Jontavious Willis (Greenville, GA)
• –  The Slick Skillet Serenaders (New Orleans, LA)
• –  M.S.G Acoustic Blues Trio (Hampton, VA)
• –  Juggernaut Jug Band (Louisville, KY)
• –  The Busted Jug Band (Boston, MA)
• –  Cincinnati Dancing Pigs (Cincinnati, OH)
• –  Ever-Lovin Jug Band (Ontario, Canada)
• –  How Long Jug Band (Portland, OR)Heather Leoncini, president of the National Jug Band Jubilee, said the Jubilee board is excited to bring everyone back together again to celebrate the history of Jug Band music.“After taking a couple of years off, this year’s Jubilee feels extra special for everyone,” Leoncini said. “People from all over the United States, and even some from other countries, come to Louisville specifically for this festival. I expect to see a lot of dancing when the bands start playing.”In addition to the music, the Jubilee features other fun activities for kids ages 2 to 82. The National Jug Band Jubilee will take a break from the music at 4 p.m. for several workshops. Learn to blow a jug, play a washboard, washtub bass, kazoo and more! There is also great local vending, food, beer and wine.The Jubilee also offers a lot of activities for children, including a booth from the Little Loomhouse.

“We’ve had a booth at the Jubilee since 2015, and it has become one of my favorite festivals. I love doing weaving projects with the families while getting to hear the great music. It is something our staff and volunteers look forward to,” said Michelle Amos, executive director of the Little Loomhouse.

The National Jug Band Jubilee was founded in 2005 to preserve the legacy of jug band music through music and education. Jug band music is a pre-World War II jazz style that thrived in Louisville between 1890 and 1930. The River City is considered to be the home of the genre because it produced the first two jug bands to record – Sara Martin’s Jug Band (OKeh Record, 1924) and Whistler’s Jug Band (Gennett, 1924). These recordings started a national craze that lasted until the Great Depression.

In addition to putting on a free, all-day festival, the National Jug Band Jubilee sends jug bands to perform at local elementary schools on Friday, the day before the Jubilee. On Friday night, there are also fun Jubilee events happening around town, including an open Jug Band jam session. Details for the Friday night events will be announced soon.