Blues & Seafood, Jazz & Oysters — Double Your Fun at Twin Events on the Washington Coast This Weekend

When the heat hits again this weekend, the best place to be is the beautiful Long Beach peninsula on the Washington coast, where you can enjoy much more than a fresh, cooling ocean breeze. Two exciting events make this area an even more tempting destination.

Photo by Chris Spence of Spence Photo Design.

How about some great food and great music? Book a room and settle in for three days of fun, starting with the Blues and Seafood festival in Ilwaco on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 17-18 and then Jazz and Oysters just a few miles north at Ocean Park, on Sunday Aug. 19. A perfect place to stay would be the town of Long Beach, where I spend three days at the Adrift Hotel last May.


Reggie Houston                                                        photo by Diana Thompson



"Jazz & Oysters is a great summer party," says Diana Thompson, the coordinator for this event. "It was started as a fund raiser for Water Music Festival, but has become an event of it's own. It has given those of us in our small beach community the opportunity to hear some great jazz performances while enjoying locally grown oysters and other delectable treats." This event takes place at Wilson Field, 25815 Sandridge Rd. in Ocean Park, between noon and 7 p.m.





Zona Calda band in 2011                                       Photo by Chris Spence



After 27 years of hosting, you can be sure that the organizers of these events know exactly how to please the crowds who come to hear some of the Northwest's best musicians and enjoy Northwest seafood. The outdoor festival site serves as a jazz club alfresco offering those delectable freshly harvested local oysters plus sausages, desserts, beverages, and "an array of other tasty tidbits," according to their web site.

Enjoy the Latin and jazz music of singer/songwriter Jesse Marquez at noon, opening the show with her exceptional vocal style and lyrics. Click on her name to read about her and listen to a sample. Don't miss this chance to experience her live performance. 

Seattle's own First Thursday Jazz Band, a favorite at the New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Pioneer Square, will be among the stars at Jazz & Oysters, playing two sets of music starting at 2:30 p.m. This band features the talents of Ray Skjelbred on piano, Steve Wright on reeds and trumpet, Dave Brown on bass and Mike Daugherty on drums and vocals.



Beginning at 5:00, ease into your summer evening with the Jovino Santos Neto Quintet This amazing Brazilian pianist and composer and band mates, some of the best talents in the region, will transport you into the perfect mood to watch the sun set in the west.



photo by Candace Brown



Jazz & Oysters Coordinator Diana Thompson invites you to take advantage of the combined offerings of coastal communities that have worked together to bring you a package well worth the trip.

"Working in conjunction with the Ilwaco merchants has given us the opportunity to create an amazing weekend of terrific music and wonderful food for our community and for those who come to visit," she said.

You won't find any place in the Northwest more welcoming, so plan your weekend getaway now. Tickets for will be available on site but online sales end at noon on Thursday, August 16. Buy tickets for both events and SAVE. (Jazz & Oysters on Facebook)

(from their website)

PLEASE NOTE: To honor those serving our country, we are offering free admission to active duty military and their families for Jazz & Oysters, as well as the Friday and Saturday evening performances for Water Music Festival. Thank you

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