Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World Festival

On July 8th, music mingled in the trees of Queens Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World Festival, situated just by the Queens Theatre, brought the delightful lull of Jazz to excited festival lovers abound. The music united many listeners on the main green while others chose to visit the various booths situated around the park.

To celebrate Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful world festival, the main stage featured a showcase of some of the best contemporary Jazz artists of our time. Most notably, the festival featured Jon Batiste, a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree and master jazz musician. Festival goers who stayed until the evening was honored with the powerful music of this world-famous musician and the sound of the Havana Roots collective.

Jazz was not the only thing being celebrated through, culture, food, and human connection were also main aspects of this amazing festival. Reflecting on aspects of Louis Armstrong’s ability to bridge the divide; the festival beautifully brought together festival goers of diverse backgrounds and age ranges; all enjoying the music and dancing in tandem. Families with kids seemed to had the most fun, as most of the kids had their faces painted, while dancing and laughing amongst older folks, swaying quietly to the music.

Louis Armstrong’s ability to bring people together with his music seems to have lasted the test of time, with his Wonderful World Festival being the highlight of many families weekends and contributing to the artistic atmosphere of the park.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images for Kupferberg Cent