Music drifted across the waterfront, lawn chairs filled in early and the sound of saxophones, keyboards, soft drums, vocals and applause carried through the heat as the city debuted its first-ever Clermont Arts and Jazz Festival last weekend.

For Clermont Mayor Tim Murry, the idea started simply, with a conversation and a crowd that wanted more.

“We had Craig Crawford, a local jazz musician performing at one of our events,” Tim says. “After he finished performing, everybody started talking about the possibility of a jazz festival, so I took it back to council.”

Fast forward and the concept turned into a full weekend event, bringing together local and regional musicians, artists and residents eager to see something new take shape in Clermont.

“I think Brian Foreman and his staff did a fantastic job organizing it,” Tim says. “I know it was the very first one, but what a great turnout.”

Despite warm temperatures, crowds showed up in force, settling in with chairs and umbrellas to take in the performances along the lakefront. Saturday drew especially strong attendance with an estimated 3000+ people, while Sunday maintained a steady flow of music lovers.

Saturday’s lineup featured Eighth Note Collective, Barbara King, Walter Beasley and Ghost-Note, while Sunday included performances by Craig Crawford, Fernando Ferrarone Jazz Quartet, Kim Scott and Keiko Matsui, giving audiences a full weekend of live jazz and musical variety.

In addition to the music, festivalgoers had plenty to explore, with food trucks offering a range of food and drinks for purchase, artist vendors selling handmade goods and artwork, and a mix of booths that added to the event’s lively, community-driven atmosphere.

A key focus of the festival was highlighting local talent, something the mayor says Clermont has no shortage of.

“One of the things I realized about Clermont is how much talent we have sitting here,” he says.

Craig, a local saxophonist who helped inspire the festival, took the stage during the weekend lineup.

“Oh, my goodness. This is a dream come true,” Craig says. “Really, to play in my own town, in front of thousands is an awesome experience.”

Craig, who has lived in Clermont for more than a decade, said the turnout and atmosphere showed just how much the community embraces live music.

“People really seemed to love it,” he says.

The festival also drew visitors from neighboring cities, introducing new audiences to Clermont’s growing arts and entertainment scene.

“I’ve got people that came from Apopka, and they’re like, ‘We never knew this was even here,’” Craig says.

For Tim, the weekend wasn’t just about music but more so, about bringing people together.

“I always say music is the international language,” he says. “Everybody loves music. That is the one thing we can all come together around.”

City leaders are already looking ahead, gathering feedback and considering tweaks for future events, including potentially shifting the festival to a Friday-Saturday schedule to better accommodate crowds.

“I was expecting a lot of complaints in the first one, but it didn’t happen that way,” Tim says. “I actually heard a lot of comments from very happy people.”

If the inaugural festival is any indication, it may become a staple on Clermont’s event calendar and another way for the city to showcase its talent and community spirit.

“We’ll take suggestions and make it better for the next time, but this was a fantastic start,” Tim says.

Photos by Roxanne Brown and provided.