UPDATED: RAIN CHECKED" JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL HEADLINER RETURNS TO INDIANA

Howie Alexander Concert April 12 Benefits New Westsylvania Weekend

UPDATED FEBRUARY 24, 2025

INDIANA, PA, DATE -- Call it “Westsylvania Weekend” because Indiana’s traditional summer kickoff just got bigger.

For its 2025 edition, the Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival (WJBF) will partner with the inaugural Westsylvania Arts Fest (WAF).

The events will be held concurrently Memorial Day Weekend in downtown Indiana. Admission will remain free of charge.

Organizers will be warming up with an April 12 performance by jazz pianist Howie Alexander at the Indiana Theater. Tickets are on sale now and help support Westsylvania Weekend.

The 2024 B.U.I.L.D. Artist-In-Residence at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center/Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Alexander's live performances as both sideman and headliner have taken him from Pittsburgh to Monaco.

Alexander had been slated to appear as a headliner at last year’s Delaney Chevrolet Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival, but his set was preempted by a thunderstorm.

WAF is a collaboration among the Indiana Arts Association, the Artists Hand Gallery, the Fox Clark Gallery, and WJBF’s parent organization, the Indiana Arts Council.

Live jazz and blues performances, slated for May 24, will be enhanced by

• Juried visual artist booths featuring fine arts and novel crafts

• An open arts exhibition with awards for excellence, including a “people’s choice award"

• Hands-on workshops and participatory events for artists of various experience levels

Applications for visual artist booths are currently being accepted via the Zapplication platform. More information may also be found on the Arts Council website: theindianaartscouncil.com.