Free Jazz Concert on the Leonardtown Square | Friday, July 10, 2020

The Leonardtown Summer Music Festival Presents: A Kickoff Concert & Party for the Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival Weekend

The festivities kick-off with a free, jazz era concert/kickoff party in historic Leonardtown with the Chesapeake Swingband and the U.S. Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble performing from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM in Leonardtown Square. The evening will be a celebration of jazz throughout the 20’s (jazz age), the 30’s-40s (swing era), and the 50’s-90’s (modern and Latin jazz). Attendees are urged to come in their choice of period costume from the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. There will be raffles and prizes awarded for costume. The celebration will continue with after parties at in-town restaurants, the Rex, Old Towne Pub and Social Coffeehouse & Cocktail Bar.

For more information, visit the Leonardtown Summer Music Festival Website at www.leonardtownmusicfest.com.

Come check out this fascinating historic site right in the heart of Leonardtown during the free concert on the Square! Built in 1876 and in use until 1945 by the oldest sheriff’s office in the nation, this granite block and brick structure retains its original upstairs cells where prisoners were once segregated by gender and race. The jail keeper’s quarters downstairs house related artifacts. There will be a special Prohibition exhibit featuring an authentic illegal moonshiner still confiscated by the Sheriff’s Department during Prohibition right here in St. Mary’s County, which was famous for bootleg “Southern Maryland Rye whiskey” a century ago.