Middlesex County Jazz Festival Returns Sept. 24 - 28 This Year

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — If you're already thinking about relaxing outdoors in cooler weather this fall, you're in luck:

The Middlesex County Jazz Festival returns this year, and it's booked to run from September 24 through September 28.

This is the third year in a row for the Middlesex County Jazz Festival, which presents four evenings of free jazz music in four Middlesex County towns: Carteret, Woodbridge, Metuchen and New Brunswick.

This year’s offerings spotlight women in jazz as well as several of the towns' excellent high school music programs. An important mission of the Middlesex County Jazz Festival is to promote music education.

Here's the 2025 line-up:

Woodbridge Arts will open the festival September 24 at Parker Press Park starting at 7:00 p.m. The Woodbridge High School Jazz Choir, under the direction of Lisa Romero, start things off. Next up that evening are the Brass Queens, a 10-piece band with an all-female horn section, whose sound is deeply inspired by the music of New Orleans mixed with the flair of modern pop. Elizabeth Bougerol of The Hot Sardines headlines the evening with her vocal stylings of early 20th century jazz.

September 26 the festival moves to Carteret, where jazz vocalist, bandleader and on-air radio host at WBGO, Lezlie Harrison will perform at the Carteret Performing Arts Center at 45 Washington Street. Harrison has long captivated audiences with her distinctive style and heartfelt delivery. Her role as a curator and presenter at jazz radio station WBGO informs the breath and caliber of the music she performs.

On September 27 the festival moves to Metuchen where the Metuchen Arts Council and the Friends of Metuchen will present a full evening’s entertainment starting at 5:30 p.m. with a collaborative performance featuring the Metuchen High School Jazz Combo and the Metuchen Dance Center, followed by the Metuchen High School Jazz Collective and Orchestra directed by John Messenger. At 7:00 p.m. the AAPI Collective led by trombonist Peter Lin takes the stage followed by Sherrie Maricle and the 15-member, all-female swing band, DIVA Jazz Orchestra. The Metuchen event takes place indoors in the newly refurbished Metuchen High School auditorium located at 400 Gove Avenue in Metuchen.

On September 29, the festival finishes up in New Brunswick where the New Brunswick Jazz Project will provide a lively afternoon on Livingston Avenue in front of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center starting at 1:00 p.m. with Mike Noordzy and the Rutgers Alumni Jazz Orchestra, followed by the renowned jazz vocalist Antoinette Montague. The afternoon is capped off with Conrad Herwig's Latin Side All- Stars.

All Middlesex County Jazz Festival concerts are free and accessible. For concert details and up-to date weather and performance related announcements visit www.middlesexcountyjazzfestival.com.

Producers for the Middlesex County Jazz Festival include the Borough of Carteret, the Metuchen Arts Council along with the Friends of Metuchen Arts, the New Brunswick Jazz Project and Woodbridge Arts. Grant funding for the Festival has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.

Full concert schedule:

Woodbridge – Wednesday, September 24, 2025
At Parker Press Park, 400 Rahway Avenue in downtown Woodbridge
7:00 p.m. – Woodbridge High School Jaz Choir
7:30 p.m. – Brass Queens
8:30 p.m. – Elizabeth Bougerol (of The Hot Sardines)

Carteret – Friday, September 26, 2025
At the Carteret Performing Arts Center, 46 Washington Street, Carteret
7:00 p.m. – Lezlie Harrison

Metuchen – Saturday, September 27, 2025
At Metuchen High School, 400 Grove Avenue, Metuchen
5:30 p.m. – Metuchen Dance Center + Metuchen High School Jazz Combo
6:00 p.m. – Metuchen High School Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra
7:00 p.m. – AAPI Jazz Collective with Peter Lin
8:15 p.m. – Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra

New Brunswick – Sunday, September 28, 2025
At Livingston Avenue in front of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. – Mike Noordzy & the Rutgers Alumni Jazz Orchestra
2:15 – 3:30 p.m. – Antoinette Montague
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. – Conrad Herwig Latin Side All Stars