New Smyrna Beach, Florida's Jazz Festival at Riverside Park

New Smyrna Beach was settled in the eighteenth century by a doctor named Andrew Turnbull. He employed cheap labor to immigrants hoping for a better life in the "new world," yet they were often worked under harsh conditions and many died from disease, heat exhaustion and fatigue. Immigrants came from Greece, Minorca and Italy. There were close to five hundred Greek workers that came to work on Turnbill's settlement, but many deserted when conditions proved intolerable and fled to St. Augustine. The British were in charge of Florida during this time as well, and one can see in New Smyrna Beach the remnants of sugar mill plantations that were started by British, yet destroyed during the Seminole wars, with only fragmented coquina shell walls remaining, which one can still view in New Smyrna's historic district.

There are local festivals dedicated to heritage, such as African American, Native American, and European, but what is most popular in N.S.B. is the annual Jazz Festival. The festival is at Riverside Park, off Canal Street, in the heart of town. People bring their puppies to walk in the park, and its fun to socialize with locals and the visiting tourists at festivals. The air is tranquil in this part of Florida, even the noted naturalist author Stephen Crane remarked about the velvet breezes. The breeze blows gently through the palms, and there is a mix of air coming in from the ocean with just the right amount of balmy atmosphere that make the climate most pleasant.

Visiting and local Jazz musicians from all over the state come to N.S.B. and perform free concerts in the park, from the gazebo. People bring lawn chairs, sit on the grass, and enjoy music, while others walk their dogs, and visit the many vendors serving foods. The shops on Canal Street stay open late too. The Festival is Sept. 21-23rd.

The annual Art Fiesta brings arts and craft vendors from all over the country as well. More annual festivals to keep in mind for next year are FishStock, sponsored by Sports Fishing Magazine. This is a big event in New Smyrna, that takes place in May. The festival includes displays of boats at the park, fishing contests, including big prize angler competitions, fishing displays and demonstrations, events for kids, and more. The close proximity to the Mosquito Lagoon in Oak Hill makes the perfect location for game fish, and the fishermen start from N.S.B. and head down the Indian River.

N.S.B. is known as an art capitol, and there is another festival called Images, which takes place in February. This is a showcasing of art, presented by the famed Atlantic Center for the Arts. Riverside Park is located at 105 Riverside Drive. From U.S.-1, take Canal Street in the direction of the ocean. The beach is located down in the Flagler Avenue section, over the main causeway bridge, but the park is located on the Indian River, to the right of Canal Street from U.S.-1.