A GLITTERING Mardi Gras-style carnival has been planned for this year’s Upton-upon-Severn Jazz Festival.
The big event, which will also be celebrating it 30th anniversary, will take place from June 25 to June 28 and will have a 1940s theme to it. This is to coincide with the on-going VE Day celebrations.
A series of bands will strike up outside Upton’s Parish Church at 11am on the Saturday, leading carnival floats, professional dancers and children from both Upton CE Primary and Hanley Castle High Schools through the streets.
Organisers are hoping hundreds of jazz fans will join the throng as it winds past the Jazz City festival village and through Upton’s streets to the riverside.
Rachel Hayward, the new musical director, said this year they had planned something different and instead of having two separate parades there was just going to be one big one.
She added there would be an old wartime Jeep, authentic dancers and a real carnival atmosphere to the day with lots of floats.
As well as a mixture of New Orleans, European, modern and gypsy jazz, music fans will also be able to jump-jive to renowned bands such as Alligator Gumbo and the Swing Commanders. Lessons will also be held throughout the weekend.
Festival favourites Carl Sinclair’s Boogie Band and the Craig Milverton Trio will also be joining the line-up along with renowned European stars Menno Daams and the Stockholm Stompers.
With 60 gigs across ten venues, music-lovers can expect free jam sessions a lively festival fringe, artisan food and drink, trade stands, a gospel church service and riverboat shuffles aboard the party boat Conway Castle.
Rachel, who also plays banjo and vibes in all-girl jazz group Hotsy Totsy, said: “We’ve always had two parades which had a good following.
“But we wanted to make it bigger and better this year, so we’re concentrating on one huge Saturday parade with more of a carnival — a real Mardi Gras.
“We really want people to join in.”
Tickets are £28 and under-14s go free.
Visit www.uptonjazz.co.uk or call 01684 593254 for more information.
