DC Jazz Bops! Kids Concert

DC JazzFest Has a Kids Concert, and It Costs Nothing

DC JazzFest takes over The Wharf on Labor Day weekend, and before the main stages fire up, the mornings belong to families. DC Jazz Bops! is a free, interactive kids concert at M Street Landing on both Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, from 11:00 to 11:50am. Teaching artist Heidi Martin leads it, and interactive means exactly that: kids clap, sing, and move rather than sit through a recital. It’s free, but reserve the $0 general admission tickets on dcjazzfest.org so they know you’re coming.

The logistics are what sell this one. A 50-minute set ends right at noon, which drops you into Wharf lunch options at the exact moment everyone’s hungry. You can watch the boats at the docks, walk the pier, and be home before nap collapse. If the kids catch the jazz bug, the main festival runs 2 to 10pm both days. That part is ticketed, from $29, and moves at a grown-up pace.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Arrive by 10:40: The area up front fills with dancing kids first. Getting there 20 minutes early means a spot where yours can actually see, plus time for a bathroom run.
• ✓Strollers are fine: It’s an open-air landing, not a theater. Park the stroller at the edge and let walkers wander to the front for the participation parts.
• ✓Book lunch in your head before the show ends: Everything at The Wharf gets slammed after noon on festival days. Pick your spot at 11, walk straight there at 11:50, beat the rush by minutes.
• ✓Sun hats over sunscreen alone: M Street Landing has little shade at 11am and the water bounces light back up. Hats and a water bottle per kid keep everyone in the game.
• ✓Decide your festival exit in advance: By 1:30–2pm the main JazzFest crowd builds and the vibe shifts adult. With under-5s, do the kids show, lunch, boats, and head out on a high note.
• ✓Reserve the free tickets anyway: The $0 tickets on dcjazzfest.org take two minutes and spare you any conversation at the entrance. Book each day separately if you’re going twice.