There’s no place like Cherokee Street. You’re as likely to see a roller-skating banana as a neighbor walking their dog. Its constant stream of shops, eateries, bars, and cafes makes it a hotbed of music and art, often underground, within an already vibrant city. And beyond that, Cherokee Street is a place to just be. The annual Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl is a culmination of this, a celebration of the city’s urban music and dance scene, and simply an amazing party.

Begun in 2012 an aspect of the Nevermore Jazz Ball & St. Louis Swing Dance Festival, the Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl has taken on a life of its own. St. Louis bands, with their funny characteristic of demure badassery, fill the stages, street corners, and unassuming back patios of one of St. Louis’ most beloved neighborhood streets. There is jazz, of course, ranging from 30s swingin’ blues, gypsy jazz, ragtime, and soulful marching brass. But the Jazz Crawl is not just about jazz, the music. It’s about jazz, the culture - bringing people together through individual and group expression. It’s about the jazz of hip-hop, mariachi, blues, and folk. This is a people’s music festival, where the hope is to see your favorite music act and also dig a style you’ve never been exposed to before. And thanks to funding by the St. Louis Jitterbugs and other neighborhood groups, it’s free to the public.

Open dance classes augment the whole premise of the Jazz Crawl as lessons in swing and lindy hop, St. Louis Bop, St. Louis Shag, hip-hop, tap, and break dancing get people expressing themselves through musical movement.