Jazz and Wine Festival Brings Impressive Crowd to Alton Amphitheater
ALTON - The Alton Amphitheater welcomed a roaring crowd to its annual Jazz and Wine Festival this past weekend.
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On Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, community members gathered at the amphitheater for their final festival of the season, featuring music by Kasimu Taylor, Playadors and Butcher Brown. This year’s festival also served as a tribute to Miles Davis, who called Alton his hometown.
“We’re celebrating how Miles Davis’s legacy lives on through musicians today, but also celebrating his past right here in the town where he was born,” said Abby Haynes. “This event has been going on for at least a decade. It’s very beloved in the community.”
Haynes is the new chair of the Alton Amphitheater Commission. She expressed her appreciation for the featured artists, who were “recruited to do this with us due to their musicianship” and who all paid tribute to Davis through their artistry.
Attendees could enjoy charcuterie boxes from Brown Bag Bistro as well as meals from local food trucks. There was a variety of wine available for purchase by the glass or bottle.
The Jazz and Wine Festival is a unique use of the amphitheater, as tables are set up on the stage to mimic an intimate jazz club feel. There is also “a big grassy space that’s ready to welcome people to enjoy the music.” People could spread out and enjoy the night with general admission tickets as low as $10.
Haynes noted that the amphitheater provides “a really casual riverfront atmosphere” that appeals to Alton residents and people from surrounding communities. She believes the Jazz and Wine Festival is especially great for a date night, and many people come out to enjoy the music every year.
“It feels like a perfect date night. We hear a lot of people say that they look forward to coming every year to enjoy the date night just with the atmosphere, the sunset and everything like that,” she explained. “That’s what it’s all about, and this is really special live music, bringing people together, giving people a beautiful experience right here on the riverfront that you can’t get anywhere else, and being able to make it accessible and bring everybody together right here.”
Though the amphitheater’s main season is winding down, the Amphitheater Commission has big plans for the coming months. The new September Sunset Series will feature live music on Friday, Sept. 4, 11 and 25, 2026.
The commission is also planning ahead to 2027, and Haynes promises “so many different things” and “new plans to optimize what we want to do with all the data we’re collecting.” She looks forward to sharing the amphitheater with the community at next year’s Jazz and Wine Festival, with plenty of other fun events planned in the meantime to be announced soon.
“It truly is a perfect place, whether it’s day or night, to come, bring your friends and laugh and enjoy live music,” she added.
For more information about the Alton Amphitheater, including the September Sunset Series and other upcoming events, visit their official website.
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