Taste of 4th Inc. debuts new series, ‘Taste of Music in Communities’
The crowd at the 21st annual Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival in 2024. (Taste of 4th Inc.)
For more than two decades, the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival has celebrated culture and commerce in Birmingham’s historic Black business district. This year, beginning in April, Taste of 4th Avenue is expanding beyond the district for the first time with a series of five free monthly events in advance of the 22nd annual jazz festival this August.
“Taste of Music in Communities” will bring live jazz, local vendors and engagement with neighborhoods across the city on five Sunday evenings through the spring and summer. The series kicks off Sunday, April 13, with Taste of the Northside Communities at Arthur Shores Park, featuring performances by the Original Clutch Band, Elnora Spencer and Sherry Reeves Band. Other performances are:
- Sunday, May 18 Taste of Avondale at Avondale Park.
- Sunday, June 29 Taste of the Civil Rights District at Kelly Ingram Park.
- Sunday, July 13 Taste of Pratt City at Pratt City Park.
- Sunday, Aug. 17 Taste of West End at Arlington Historic House and Gardens.
“The Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival has always been where music, culture and community come together,” said Carla Youngblood, event manager for Taste of 4th Inc. “With this expansion, we are excited to bring that experience to more neighborhoods and celebrate jazz where people live, work and gather.”
Each of the community events will begin at 4 p.m. with line dancing. Musical performances take the stage from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Food trucks, beverage vendors and event merchandise will be available. Lawn chairs and small coolers will be allowed onsite.
Taste of 4th Inc. is a nonprofit organization affiliated with Urban Impact Inc., which works to foster economic growth in the Historic 4th Avenue Business District in downtown Birmingham through educational programming, financial services and ongoing revitalization. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 4th Avenue District was a center of commercial activity for Birmingham’s Black community during the city’s decades of enforced segregation.
