Palm Springs Official Guide to Palm Springs, California
Jazz in the Pines! One of the things I love most about Palm Springs (in addition to the natural beauty, sunshine, mountains, arts and culture, philanthropy, architecture, design, and vibrant food and wine scenes) is its proximity to so many other fun getaways within easy driving distance. And one of my favorite day trips from Palm Springs is Idyllwild! And don’t get me started on how much I love jazz…
Idyllwild Arts will present the 25th Annual Jazz in the Pines August 10–12, 2018 in Idyllwild, California. And for a very good cause—the beloved jazz event benefits Idyllwild Art Academy Scholarship Program. The three-day event will feature more than two-dozen bands on the breathtaking 205-acre Idyllwild Arts mountain campus among the pines, under the festival’s signature colored parachutes. Attendees can choose to purchase any of five different ticket packages, including the new VIP All-Access Pass, the Patron Pass, the Two-Day Pass, and daily admission passes for Saturday and Sunday. All proceeds from the festival will benefit Idyllwild Arts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that changes lives through the transformative power of art. The festival takes place rain or shine.
Jazz in the Pines will feature memorable performances by a wide variety of jazz, blues, and R&B performers. It will feature both young artists who are keeping the art form fresh and alive, and seasoned musicians like Jazz in the Pines co-founder Marshall Hawkins, the standup-bass master and revered Idyllwild Arts teacher who learned at the knees of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams while touring with the Miles Davis Quintet. Hawkins personally curates this entire festival.
Headliners for Jazz in the Pines include the Pete Escovedo Orchestra, the Graham Dechter Quartet, Joshua White, Richie Cole “Alto Madness,” the Azar Lawrence Experience, and American Idol star Casey Abrams. The festival also includes a special performance on Sunday by the Idyllwild Arts Academy Student Combo, featuring student performers from the Academy.
For the 25th Annual Jazz in the Pines, a new VIP all-access package has been added, with exclusive access to a new VIP lounge Saturday and Sunday, including appetizers, non-alcoholic refreshments (alcoholic beverages are available for purchase), private restrooms, air conditioning, and more. Patron packages, which include access to the exclusive Patrons Dinner on Friday August 10, are available at the same price and benefits as in previous years. It also features a pre-show reception and preferred seating at Seahawk MOJO Concert on Saturday evening, preferred parking, preferred seating in the Main Amphitheater, and unlimited Saturday and Sunday admission.
“Jazz in the Pines brings more visitors to Idyllwild than any other single event,” said Pamela Jordan, the Idyllwild Arts Foundation’s President and Idyllwild Arts Academy’s Head of School. “We are proud to offer this extraordinary jazz festival that helps raise money for our Idyllwild Arts scholarship program. We are regularly told that one of the best features of our jazz festival is the extraordinary mountain-top forest setting, which has prompted many festival-goers to move to Idyllwild and contribute to the community year-round.”
Jazz in the Pines enables residents from all over Southern California to discover and enjoy the quaint town of Idyllwild, home to a world-class community of artists, wonderful locally-owned shops and restaurants, and some of the best scenery, hiking and rock climbing in the country. Located in the San Jacinto mountains, just 2 hours from Los Angeles, Idyllwild is considered one of the top 100 artist towns in the US.
Because Idyllwild accommodations are limited, hotels and short-term vacation rental properties book quickly. Festival attendees are advised to make reservations soon. At the event, there is no parking on the Idyllwild Arts Campus, but a complimentary shuttle will provide transportation to and from the main gate from various pick-up points within town.
For more information about Jazz in the Pines, go to jazzinthepines.com or call 951.659.2171.
Nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains, Idyllwild Arts Academy and Summer Program is an incubator for the world’s aspiring young artists. At Idyllwild Arts, students are able to practice their instruments for hours each day, to engage with other passionate young artists, to attend performances of professionals and fellow-student artists, and to take master classes with teaching artists who are devoted to their artistic growth and development. For more information, go to Idyllwildarts.org.
