The Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series is slated to bring its unique combination of music and history back to Fort Mose Historic State Park, with festivities commencing on February 6 and running through February 16. The ten-day event features a diverse lineup of artists, including Grammy® award-winning Snarky Puppy, soulful performer KEM, the horn-driven sounds of Tower of Power, neo-soul legend Macy Gray, and many others. In an effort to both entertain and educate, this event sets out to offer more than just a musical experience by spotlighting the historical significance of its venue, the site of the first free African settlement in the U.S, according to the St. Johns County.
Tickets for the series, as reported by the St. Johns County, are on sale now, with the cost ranging from $49 to $124. Each purchase is set to partially benefit the Fort Mose Historical Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the park. The performance schedule promises to nightly transform the site into a vibrant arena starting at 7 PM, with gates opening an hour earlier to welcome jazz and blues aficionados alike.
Heavy-hitting acts such as Dinner Party—a collaboration of renowned artists Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, and Kamasi Washington—will grace the stage on February 14, while The Dirty Dozen Brass Band pairs up with Sierra Green and The Giants to round out the series on February 16. The music series, now in its fourth year, has been a successful endeavor, raising in excess of $129,000 since its 2022 inception. These funds have been integral to the Fort Mose Historical Society's mission, which includes a project inaugurated in 2024 to reconstruct the 1738 Fort Mose site, with completion anticipated within the year, as reported by the St. Johns County.
Behind the event stands SJC Cultural Events, Inc., the producer of the series and manager of notable venues such as The St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. With support from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council and other sponsors, the Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series continues to be a prominent contribution to St. Johns County's cultural offerings. Fort Mose itself is recognized as a beacon of resilience and the melding of cultures, having been named a National Historic Landmark in 1994 as a testament to its storied past as a refuge for Africans escaping English enslavement.
