Save the Date
Saturday, May 10, 2025

Main St, Half Moon Bay

Wine & Jezz Festival Logo

Taste Outstanding California Wines

The Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival features some of California’s finest wineries. We believe some of the best wine in the world comes from California, and we hope you’ll come sample them for yourself. When you arrive, you’ll get a commemorative stemless wine glass and an event wristband – then you’ll be free to explore the many winemakers that will line Half Moon Bay’s historic Main Street.

Experience World-Class Jazz

Saturday, June 1 | 12pm-5pm

It’s an honor to bring some of the finest jazz musicians in the world downtown for the Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival. Appearing on stage at the Main Event on Saturday are the Jahari Stampley Trio, Kim Nalley Band, Howard Wiley Quartet, Michela Marino Lerman, and Ayo Brame Quartet. At various locations along Main Street we’ll also have music by El Guajiro, Brian Andres Trio, and Jeff Bordes & the Big Easy.

Jahari Stampley

Jahari Stampley Trio

Jahari Stampley, a 24 year old piano prodigy from Chicago, is the winner of the Herbie Hancock Institute International Competition and is considered one of the fastest rising stars in jazz. Jahari released his debut album entitled “Still Listening” which rose to #1 on Apple iTunes in the first weeks of the album’s release.

View Jahari Stampley's Bio
Kim Nalley credit Scott Chernis
Photo: Scott Chernis

Kim Nalley Band

Dr. Kim Nalley has been called “legendary” and a “San Francisco institution” and is a fixture of the San Francisco jazz scene with her 3½ octave range and incomparable stage presence. The SF Chronicle says “She has been compared to all the greats, but in the end, it’s Kim Nalley and no one else – an unforced instrument with clarity and jazzy musicality, effortlessly delivered, and a sense of humor to boot.”

View Dr. Kim Nalley's Bio
Photo: Susan Mah

Howard Wiley Quartet

Howard Wiley is a Resident Artistic Director at SFJazz and has been heralded as “the most prodigious Bay Area saxophonist of his generation.” He has performed at jazz festivals worldwide, including the Monterey Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Fest, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, and SXSW.

View Howard Wiley's Bio

Michela Marino Lerman

Michela Marino Lerman is the Artist-in-Residence for the 2024 Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival. She’s an internationally-known tap dance artist who has appeared everywhere from Sesame Street to a US postage stamp, and during Saturday’s event you’ll find her performing alongside Howard Wiley on the Main Stage.

View Michela Marino Lerman's Bio

Ayo Brame Quartet

Ayo Brame, at only 16 years old, is a talented, up-and-coming saxophonist out of Oakland, California and has been labeled “an emerging force” in jazz. In addition to the saxophone, he plays the clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and music production where he’s beginning to lay original tracks.

View Ayo Brame's Bio

El Guajiro

EL GUAJIRO is a quartet performing classic romantic boleros and Latin standards with a Cuban twist.

Brian Andres Trio

The Brian Andres Trio performs original compositions and exciting new arrangements of jazz and Latin standards.

Jeff Bordes & the Big Easy

Jeff Bordes is a Bay Area trumpet player & composer who has recorded with artists such as Branford Marsalis, Tom Petty, and John Mellencamp.

Schedule

11:00 AMCheck In Begins
11:15 AMEl Guajiro (Main St between Mill and Kelly)
11:30 AMAyo Brame Quartet (Main Stage)
12:00 PMWine Tasting Begins
12:45 PMBrian Andres Trio (Main St and Miramontes)
1:00 PMHoward Wiley Quartet with Special Guest Michela Marino Lerman (Main Stage)
2:15 PMJeff Bordes & the Big Easy (Main St and Correas)
2:30 PMKim Nalley Band (Main Stage)
4:00 PMJahari Stampley Trio (Main Stage)

Event Map

Food Court

With all of that wine tasting and music, you’re going to get hungry, so we’ve assembled a food court where you can purchase food from some of our favorite local eateries. 

Beer and Cider Garden

It’s a wine and jazz festival, but if wine isn’t your thing, or you’re just craving a cold one to wash down that delicious food from the food court, beer and cider will be available for purchase from a some great local breweries and cideries!

Special EventCelebrating Harlem of the WestFriday, May 31 @ 5:30PM or 8:00PM

In the 1940’s and 1950’s, San Francisco’s Fillmore District was the jazz center of the Bay Area, celebrated as the “Harlem of the West”. Friday night’s special event aims to capture the spirit of that place and time with an evening reminiscent of the supper clubs that were popular at the time. The multi-faceted show will weave jazz music, dance, and poetry together in an unforgettable performance.

The show will feature vocalist Kenny Washington, the Marcus Shelby Quintet, tap dancer Michela Marino Lerman, vocalist Chloe Jean, poet Enid Pickett, and historian Lewis Watts.

The entertainment will be paired with a delicious three-course culinary experience* at Pasta Moon. Two seatings of the show are available, one starting at 5:30 PM and one at 8:00 PM on May 31st, as a separate ticket purchase.

*Menu will include gluten-free and vegetarian menu options; vegan options on request.

Kenny Washington

Kenny Washington thrills audiences across the globe with his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and rapid-fire scatting. Described as one of “the Bay Area’s best kept musical secrets,” Washington’s astounding improvisational flights, inventive approach and emotional intensity are awe inspiring.

View Kenny Washington's Bio

Marcus Shelby Quintet

Marcus Shelby is a composer, bassist, bandleader, and educator whose work focuses on the history, present, and future of African American lives, social movements and music education. Shelby is a jazz icon synonymous with Bay Area jazz and the spirit of collaboration.

View Marcus Shelby's Bio

Michela Marino Lerman

Michela Marino Lerman is the Artist-in-Residence for the 2024 Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival. She’s an internationally-known tap dance artist who has appeared everywhere from Sesame Street to a US postage stamp, and during Saturday’s event you’ll find her performing alongside Howard Wiley on the Main Stage.

View Michela Marino Lerman's Bio

Chloe Jean

Chloe Jean is an award-winning Bay Area recording artist and songwriter.  In May 2023, Chloe released her album, Fairy Tale Fail, to much critical acclaim. Her R&B background lends a unique take on jazz standards, while her original tunes draw from her experiences in both heart-ache and love.  

View Chloe Jean's Bio

Enid Pickett

Enid Pickett is a poet and educator who in 2021 became the first ever poet laureate of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival. Speaking of Enid’s talent, Marcus Shelby said he was “inspired by her ability to weave words and sentences like a musician playing the blues — full of clear, articulate tension and release.”

Lewis Watts

Lewis Watts is a photographer, archivist curator, art historian, author, lecturer, and educator. He is a Professor Emeritus of Art at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His book, Harlem of the West — the San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era, celebrates a unique chapter in jazz history, and also inspired the theme of this special performance.

View Lewis Watts' Bio

When: Friday, May 31, 2024 @ 5:30pm OR 8:00PM
Where: Pasta Moon, 845 Main Street, Half Moon Bay
Cost: 175 per person

Special Event Saturday Sunset SwingSaturday, June 1 @6:00PM

For those who want to keep the party going after the main event, the Saturday Sunset Swing features Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

The Grammy-nominated jazz singer and swing revivalist leads her all-star band of musicians to close out the festival at Half Moon Bay’s historic San Benito House on Main Street.

It all takes place in San Benito House’s newly-renovated private garden area, which will be set up with room for dancing in front of the stage. Guests will be able order food and drinks to enjoy while swinging the night away.

Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

Lavay Smith is the vocalist and bandleader of the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, one of the top swingin’ Jazz and Blues bands in the world. Lavay has become an internationally recognized Diva of Jazz and Blues, with a singing style influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Little Esther Phillips and other legendary greats. 

View Lavay Smith's Bio

When: Saturday, June 1, 2024 @ 6:00PM
Where: San Benito House, 356 Main Street, Half Moon Bay
Cost: 60 per person

Thank You to Our Sponsors

The Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and community partners. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this year’s event, use our contact form to request more information.

Premier Partners

Community Partners

Supporters

Supporting Education

The Half Moon Bay Downtown Association is excited to be partnering with the Cabrillo Education Foundation (CEF) for this event. CEF is a non-profit organization that operates independently – but in partnership with – the Cabrillo Unified School District for the benefit of enriching educational excellence for the students attending our local public schools.

CEF will be a beneficiary of the festival with donations going toward the growth of the endowment and toward programs supporting creative arts and music.