Jazz in July is returning to Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) for its fifth consecutive year. Every Thursday this month, guests can visit the Garden to enjoy an evening of live jazz performances, with different artists performing each week.

The series was launched to bring visitors to the garden during summer, a “time of year that can sometimes be a bit slower” than the spring, according to Nadine Cabrera, senior event manager at BBG. During the springtime, thousands of people visit the Garden to enjoy over 200 cherry blossom trees in bloom, one of its peak attractions.

“Brooklyn Botanic Garden is sometimes known as ‘the’ spring destination, because of all the spring blooms — especially our cherry blossoms,” Cabrera said. “But over the last five years we’ve started doing more events during the summer outside to bring more people to come and enjoy different summer activities here at the garden.”

Different artists perform at the Garden each week, and staff curate the lineup with help from various local organizations. This month, those partners include Haiti Cultural Exchange and IAMcariBEING.

“We work with a lot of local organizations… they help us put together performers for these evenings during Jazz in July,” Cabrera said. “With those partnerships, we also like to connect with and introduce new artists to the lineup. It helps foster new relationships, which is really great.”

The summer jazz series began in 2021 withlive music performances, but has since evolved to provide visitors with a grander experience.

“We initially had it just as the live performance, but we thought about, how can we expand this evening a little bit longer so that folks can enjoy more?” Cabrera said.

Since then, the Jazz in July has also included activity hours for guests to attend from 6 to 7 p.m., one hour before the performance begin at 8 p.m. Attendees can enjoy various experiences during these hours, such as drawing demonstrations and exhibition tours.

“This has been a great way for — when we have these different exhibits each year — to integrate a tour that lets people learn more about them,” Cabrera said. “These activity hours also give folks an opportunity to explore different parts of the garden. It’s a fun, drop-in activity hour, so there’s no commitment to have to stay there.”

The Cherry Esplanade is shown in full bloom at Brooklyn Botanic Garden in this file photo. While the Garden is best known for its spring cherry blossoms, its Jazz in July series is part of an effort to draw visitors throughout the summer.File photo by Susan De Vries

In celebration of July being Disability Pride Month, the Garden partnered with Accessible Travel NYC for a special themed activity hour on July 23.

“It’s an art-making program around Disability Pride, very focused on giving folks with disabilities and non-disability to express themselves, do artwork and commune together,” Cabrera said. “That’s been a really successful program that we’ve added.”

Overall, the summer series receives “great reactions” from attendees, according to Cabrera. 

“Attendance has grown since we’ve really started this a couple of years ago, and it continues to grow,” Cabrera said. “That word of mouth has just been really helpful, and I think people enjoy it. It’s a nice way to spend the summer evening in Brooklyn.”

Summer plans for BBG do not end there. On July 20, the Garden is hosting a “Forever Green Soundbath” experience with Grammy-winning group Attacca Quartet, a “life-affirming meditation on the impermanence of nature.” BBG ends its packed July schedule on July 30 with a free admission block party, with food, games and a DJ, celebrating 30 years of the Garden’s “Greenest Block” contest. 

Tickets for these events can be found online at bbg.org. A limited number of free community tickets are available every day for reservation.