The South Carolina Jazz Festival will celebrate an art form pioneered by Cheraw native Dizzy Gillespie. The two-day jazz festival will give attendees a lasting impression of one of America's most unique musical performers, the bond he shared with a charming southern town, and of course, great jazz!

On October 20 & 21, 2006 the first annual festival will present a wide variety of concerts and events. The date was selected to coincide with the 89th anniversary of Dizzy's birth.

Planned activities include a downtown restaurant crawl with intimate performances by regional jazz artists, street musicians, a jazz breakfast, gospel concerts, a BBQ & jazz lunch, a jazz education clinic, and a self-guided walking tour featuring Dizzy Gillespie related sites. Cheraw's Burr Gallery will exhibit Dizzy Gillespie related artworks. The Gallery will also feature Gillespie memorabilia along with Dizzy's unique bent horn on loan from the Smithsonian Museum. The festival will culminate with jazz concerts at the Dizzy Gillespie Home Site Park, Cheraw's historic riverfront park and the Theatre on the Green, a site frequently mentioned in Gillespie's memoirs.

The main festival concerts will highlight top regional jazz performers along with artists whose careers were influenced by Dizzy. The festival's free Bebop Series will give jazz enthusiasts an opportunity to sample the best of Cheraw's local talent.

For more information on festival events and area lodging and restaurants, please visit the web-site for updates on Artist and calendar of events.