The Charles River Jazz Festival was founded in 2021 by local jazz musician Seba Molnar. Seba was approached by Friends of Herter Park to curate an all day jazz festival at Herter Park Amphitheatre. After the loss of the BeanTown Jazz Festival and the closure of many local venues, Seba was excited by the opportunity to create new opportunities to build community around music. With a limited budget and two months to plan it all, the Charles River Jazz Festival was launched, showcasing five bands and bringing over 500 people to the event! The success of the inaugural event inspired Seba and he recruited his partner, Moriah Phillips, to help begin planning and obtaining grants for the 2nd annual Charles River Jazz Festival. The pair worked hard for months and over time enlisted help from friends and other local musicians to help plan the festival. With the help of their friends, volunteers, donors, and sponsors, the 2022 event was a great success, adding food and art vendors to the experience and tripling in size to over 1,600 attendees. 

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As the festival continues to grow so does the amazing team of individuals dedicated to connecting the Greater Boston community with the unique artform of Jazz. We have established a Board of Directors and are making great strides toward launching our nonprofit, Boston Jazz Foundation, to serve the marginalized artists of this city who have been keeping Jazz authentic and accessible. It is our hope that The Charles River Jazz Festival brings fun and inspiration to the Boston community for many years to come!