By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The organizers of Alabaster’s upcoming Jazz in the Park said they are anticipating a large crowd at this year’s event, and said they foresee the event becoming an annual “contrast and complement” to the Alabaster CityFest event held each summer.

Jazz in the Park is set for Sunday, Oct. 1, in the field next to Alabaster City Hall and the Alabaster Senior Center off Municipal Way. The free event, which is being presented by Magic City Smooth Jazz, will be from 4-9 p.m., and will feature performances by Pedro Moore and Project Grand Slam, with an opening performance by the Thompson High School Jazz Ensemble.

During its Aug. 28 meeting, the Alabaster City Council voted unanimously to sponsor the Jazz in the Park event by providing $1,500 for the event. The Alabaster Arts Council and the Shelby County Arts Council are providing $1,750 apiece in funding, bringing the total cost of the event to $5,000.

“We are proud to present Jazz in the Park to Alabaster for a second year in a row in October. We feel like it’s a good contrast and complement to the very successful CityFest that the Alabaster Arts Council puts on every summer,” said Shelby County Arts Council Executive Director Bruce Andrews. “We are proud to have a collaboration that is working with three nonprofits to bring another slice of arts and culture to Alabaster free to the public.

“In addition to the nationally popular jazz headliners at this event, the Thompson High School jazz band will open the show at 4 p.m. This should be a source of pride for everybody in the community, and certainly is for me.”

Food trucks will be on site for the concert, and parking is available at City Hall, the Senior Center and surrounding areas. No shuttle service will be provided during the event.

Last year, the city of Alabaster and the Alabaster Arts Council sponsored one Jazz in the Park apiece each year. However, with only one Alabaster Jazz in the Park this year, the city decided to split the sponsorship costs with the city and county arts councils.

For more information about the upcoming concert, visit Alabastercityfest.com/2017/08/28/alabaster-jazz-in-the-park-sunday-october-1-4-pm/