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A close-up of a polished golden saxophone representing the Monterey Jazz Festival in California.
California

Monterey Jazz Festival

Program No. 4628RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
5 days
4 nights
What's Included
9 meals ( 4B, 2BR, 1L, 2D )
4 expert-led lectures
5 performances
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously). Walking at the lodge varies depending on room location; distances may be up to 300 yards.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 3:00-5:00 p.m. Register at the front desk of Los Laureles Lodge to get your room assignments and welcome packet with any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. Please let us know if you will be arriving late. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Reception: 5:00 p.m. In the Lodge’s Saloon, we will meet fellow Road Scholars and have cheese and crackers; beverages from the bar available for purchase.
Dinner:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Evening:
Orientation. In the Terrace Garden Room, the Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. All of our meals and classes will take place in the Terrace Garden Room overlooking the Lodge’s pool and scenic gardens. Our class instructor and Group Leader, Ali Ryerson — jazz flutist, teacher, international performing artist, and a frequent performing guest at the festival — will provide a brief overview of the festival, the longest running jazz festival in the world, first presented in 1958. Our tickets are for the same reserved seats in the Arena for all shows on the Jimmy Lyons Stage over the Festival weekend, and allows access to the other Grounds Stages. The Monterey Jazz Festival also features an international array of food, drink, and festivities. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus. Walking at the lodge varies depending on room location; distances may be up to 300 yards. At the 20 acre fair grounds, walking a minimum of 200 yards from entrance gates to Main Arena and other walking according to personal preference; mostly even pathways and unpaved grounds. Walking 1 to 2 mile throughout the day. Listening devices are available at no charge at Patron Services inside the festival. Deposit of a valid driver's license or current credit card is required.
Breakfast:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Morning:
We’ll attend a Jazz History-Repertoire class led by our jazz teacher/performer who will discuss the festival performers and their repertoire. The first Monterey Jazz Festival in September 1958 featured jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, John Lewis, Shelly Manne, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Ernestine Anderson, Harry James, Max Roach, and Billie Holiday.
Lunch:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Afternoon:
In our next Jazz History-Repertoire class, we’ll learn more about the festival performers and their repertoire. Each year the Monterey Jazz Festival brings together hundreds of performing artists from all over the world. The Festival weekend features many performances across multiple stages. These artists cover a diverse and vibrant range of musical styles and influences, making the Monterey Jazz Festival a role model in the performing arts, reaching heights that founder Jimmy Lyons imagined it could ever be.
Dinner:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Evening:
We will travel by bus to the Monterey County Fairgrounds and attend the 69th Monterey Jazz Festival. Bus drop-off will be on Garden Road by the Gate 3 ticket entrance. Our tickets permit us to explore the entire festival and attend the performances we choose in the Arena and other stages spread across 20 acres of oak-studded grounds. The Arena has backed reserved seats to relax and enjoy the performances. Every person and all belongings are subject to a security search. Security reserves the right to refuse entry. A Clear Bag Policy will be in effect. One sealed bottle of water or an empty stainless steel or other non-breakable individual use water container are allowed. Please review all festival policies at https://montereyjazz.org/festival/faqs/ Friday evening features two headlining performances at the Jimmy Lyon’s Arena Stage and multiple performances across the ground stages. Your jazz classes will provide background on the performers and their music so you can select which performances you wish to see. The first arena headliner is the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Special Guest Cécile McLorin Salvant. The second headlining performance is the ‘Eddie Palmieri Experience,’ featuring Louis Fouché, Brian Lynch, Conrad Herwig, Luques Curtis, Vicente “Little Johnny” Rivero, and others. A concert honoring pianist Eddie Palmieri. 'The Sun of Latin Music’, he was a Puerto Rican visionary who reshaped the sound of Latin jazz and salsa. The multiple grounds stages also feature a diverse range of genres and artists. For more detailed information on each performance and artist, please visit https://montereyjazz.org/. The bus will return to the lodge after the last scheduled concert ends. For those who wish to return to the lodge earlier, there will be an early bus each night approximately 1 to 1.5 hours before the last scheduled concert ends.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus. Walking at the lodge varies depending on room location; distances may be up to 300 yards. At the 20 acre fair grounds, walking a minimum of 200 yards from entrance gates to Main Arena and other walking according to personal preference; mostly even pathways and unpaved grounds. Walking 1 to 2 miles throughout the day. Listening devices are available at no charge at Patron Services inside the festival. Deposit of a valid driver's license or current credit card is required.
Breakfast:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Morning:
In our next Jazz History-Repertoire class, we’ll learn more about the festival performers and their repertoire. Main Arena performances pay tribute to the rich history of jazz and the festival, while also expanding and challenging the scope and breadth of jazz, blues, and rock, looking towards the future of jazz.
Brunch:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Afternoon:
We’ll enjoy more of the 69th Monterey Jazz Festival. Saturday afternoon features many outstanding performances across the Jimmy Lyon’s Arena Stage and multiple grounds stages. Your jazz classes will provide background on the performers and their music so you can best select which performances you wish to see. Saturday afternoon features many outstanding artists and genres across the Jimmy Lyon’s Arena Stage and multiple grounds stages. Your jazz classes will provide background on the performers and their music so you can select which performances you wish to see. The afternoon artists at the Jimmy Lyon’s Arena Stage are Blues Jam with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Friends featuring Shemekia Coopeland (blues), Monterey Surprise: 1958 Throwback (classic jazz), Ravi Coltrane Quartet: Centennial Celebration (classic jazz), and ReggieWatts (spoken word). For more detailed information on each performance and artist, please visit https://montereyjazz.org/
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. The Monterey Jazz Festival hosts a number of diverse food and beverage vendors. MJF is cashless in these areas so please remember to bring your credit card. Additional information is available at https://montereyjazz.org/festival/eat-drink-shop/
Evening:
More of the Jazz Festival. Saturday evening features two headlining performances at the Jimmy Lyon’s Arena Stage and multiple performances across the ground stages. The first Arena performance is Meshell Ndegeocello, Monterey Jazz Festival’s 2026 Commission Arist. Ndegeocello has built a more than 30-year career by prioritizing originality over genre boundaries, creating music that blends soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, and rock while exploring themes of love, justice, and identity. A highly respected bassist, songwriter, singer, and bandleader, she has challenged expectations for women, queer artists, and Black musicians, earning three Grammy Awards and numerous nominations. She has collaborated with artists including Madonna and Chaka Khan, and cites influences such as Sting, emphasizing music as a form of fellowship and connection. .br> The second Arena performance is Cécile McLorin Salvant. McLorin Salvant is an acclaimed composer, singer, and visual artist known for blending jazz with blues, folk, theater, and baroque influences while reviving overlooked songs with compelling stories and humor. Since winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010, she has earned multiple Grammy Awards, a MacArthur Fellowship, and widespread recognition for her innovative artistry. Her recent albums, including Ghost Song, Mélusine, and Oh Snap, showcase her multilingual and deeply personal approach to music. br> For more detailed information on each performance and artist, please visit https://montereyjazz.org/ The bus will return to the lodge after the last scheduled concert ends. For those who wish to return to the lodge earlier, there will be an early bus each night approximately 1 to 1.5 hours before the last scheduled concert ends.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus. Walking at the lodge varies depending on room location; distances may be up to 300 yards. At the 20 acre fair grounds, walking a minimum of 200 yards from entrance gates to Main Arena and other walking according to personal preference; mostly even pathways and unpaved grounds. Walking 1 to 2 miles throughout the day. Listening devices are available at no charge at Patron Services inside the festival. Deposit of a valid driver's license or current credit card is required.
Breakfast:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Morning:
In our next Jazz History-Repertoire class, we’ll learn more about the festival performers and their repertoire. The not-for-profit Monterey Jazz Festival has been committed to music education since its inception, currently investing more than $600,000 annually in jazz education. The festival runs a number of educational programs including the “Next Generation Jazz Orchestra” that selects top high school musicians from around the county to celebrate the future of jazz in musical tours and a performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Brunch:
In the Terrace Garden Room.
Afternoon:
We’ll attend the Jazz Festival and enjoy more great music. Sunday afternoon features more exciting performances across the Jimmy Lyon’s Arena Stage and multiple grounds stages. The afternoon performing artists at the Arena stage are Brittany Davis and Black Thunder (blues, funk), Next Generation Jazz Orchestra and Women in Jazz Combo (big band, classic jazz, student group), and aja monet (contemporary jazz, spoken word). For more detailed information on each performance and artist, please visit https://montereyjazz.org/
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. The Monterey Jazz Festival hosts a number of diverse food and beverage vendors. MJF is cashless in these areas so please remember to bring your credit card. Additional information is available at https://montereyjazz.org/festival/eat-drink-shop/
Evening:
Enjoy the final performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Sunday evening features two headlining performances at the Jimmy Lyon’s Arena Stage and multiple performances across the ground stages. The first Arena performance is Charles Lloyd Quartet: Forest Flower 60th Anniversary, dedicated to Jack DeJohnette. Lloyd is a legendary jazz musician whose career spans more than six decades, blending jazz, blues, rock, and world music while helping expand the genre’s audience through groundbreaking performances and recordings. A recipient of numerous honors, including the NEA Jazz Master title and France’s Ordre de Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, Lloyd remains an active recording artist and performer, most recently releasing Figure In Blue and being named Jazz Journalist Association Flutist of the Year for 2026. The closing Arena headliner is a first ever duo performance! Monterey Jazz is proud to present this exclusive pairing of two jazz legends, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Miles Davis. This show is an exclusive one-night-only event that you can only see at the 69th Monterey Jazz Festival. Hancock is a pioneering musician whose career has shaped jazz, funk, rock, and electronic music for over six decades. Ron Carter is one of the most influential and recorded bassists in jazz history, with more than 2,200 album credits and a career spanning over 60 years. Carter remains an active performer and bandleader, touring internationally and releasing new projects. For more detailed information on each performance and artist, please visit https://montereyjazz.org/ The bus will return to the lodge after the last scheduled concert ends. For those who wish to return to the lodge earlier, there will be an early bus each night approximately 1 to 1.5 hours before the last scheduled concert ends. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Lodge check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
In the Terrace Garden Room. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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