Free Outdoor Jam at Franklin Park Celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival with Singer Bilal, Local DJs, Bands & Family-Friendly Activities
March 14, 2023
For Immediate Release / Contact: Mercy Chikowore, mercy@mercyc.com
Washington, D.C. — Words Beats & Life, in collaboration with the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID), announces they will present a park jam, Jazz & Blossoms, on April 8, 2023. This free outdoor event in Franklin Park is a premier event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and features Grammy-nominated vocalist, songwriter, and producer Bilal. Attendees will experience live music, DJs, games, food, and activities for the whole family, including performances from Daylight DC featuring DJ Divine & Big Tone All Day, Imani-Grace & Her Big Black Band, Ayo, and DJ John Murph.
Jazz & Blossoms will take over the District’s largest downtown green space, Franklin Park, to celebrate the beauty and nature in the city with a musical backdrop. Experience Japanese culture through Rajio Taiso, a Japanese exercise led by Globalize DC, swing dance workshops by New Columbia Swing, haiku writing, face painting, flower balloons, and graffiti mural walls featuring art from Jamila Okubo and Mia Duvall.
“What better place to celebrate cherry blossoms and the arrival of spring than in Franklin Park, right in the heart of DowntownDC?” said Gerren Price, president and CEO of the DowntownDC BID. “We are honored to host this premier National Cherry Blossom Festival event and look forward to bringing world-class musical artists, like Bilal, and mesmerizing arts and culture activations through our partnership with Words Beats & Life. These events help bring vibrancy and energy to the District’s downtown, and this one will prove to be an experience that is not to be missed.”
“We’re thrilled to present this fun and unique way to celebrate the cherry blossoms and provide the perfect soundtrack to go along with such an exciting time in the city,” said Mazi Mutafa, founding executive director of Words Beats & Life. “It’s also the perfect opportunity to bloom a renewed interest in the arts in such a beautiful outdoor space.”
Attendees are encouraged to celebrate the new season by dressing in their best artsy, classic and floral influenced spring look. Curated by writer, performance artist, educator, director and organizer Holly Bass, the most creative looks and picnic set-ups can win prizes, with bonus points for floral prints and designs. While dressed in the finest of florals, guests can also enjoy a “spring inspired mocktail bar” curated by Immigrant Food for purchase and sponsored by Betty Buzz.
In addition to several performers, the event also offers local food trucks and an opportunity to win free giveaways after registering. The inaugural Jazz & Blossoms expects to welcome over 1,000 attendees and serves as a bookend to the Words Beats & Life festival, taking place April 4-9. The festival is a week of free concerts, workshops, and activities that celebrate jazz, poetry, and hip-hop. Find out more about the full festival here.
The following is the scheduled lineup. To RSVP, visit Eventbrite.
Jazz & Blossoms Line-up
Saturday, April 8
2:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Free
- DJ John Murph
- Ayo
- Imani-Grace & Her Big Black Band
- Daylight DC f/ DJ Divine & Big Tone All Day
- Bilal
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About Words Beats & Life
Words Beats & Life team members are unapologetic advocates for the transformative power of hip-hop culture in all its forms, empowering artists to relentlessly create and refine systems that demonstrate positive change through our individual and collective brilliance. We embrace the sacred nature of our work and our roles as keepers and innovators of our culture. We create arts-based educational experiences that equip youth, arts managers, teaching artists, and scholars to move from theory to practice. We harness the power of the imagination to reshape the lives and communities we serve.
About the BID
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) was founded in 1997 and is a private nonprofit organization that provides capital improvements, resources, and research that keep the BID area clean, safe, economically and environmentally strong, and accessible. The BID is a catalyst, facilitator, and thought leader in diversifying the economy, promoting public-private partnerships, and enhancing the downtown D.C. experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 138-block area of approximately 520 properties from Massachusetts Avenue on the north, including the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at Mt. Vernon Square, to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west.
About the National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the world’s great celebrations of spring. The 2023 Festival, March 20-April 16, includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Leadership Circle Sponsors for the 2023 National Cherry Blossom Festival are Events DC and Amazon. Add the 2023 Festival dates and signature event dates to your calendar, and visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information. Get the latest updates via email, and be sure to follow the Festival on Facebook (@CherryBlossomFestival), Instagram (@CherryBlossFest), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest) and YouTube (@CherryBlossFest).