Help us plan for the 2023 Duck Jazz Festival by filling out this survey.
Duck Jazz Festival
PRESENTED BY PNC
October 11-12, 2025
JAZZ IS BACK!
This year, the Duck Jazz Festival proudly reaches its 16th anniversary, and with it, we unveil our artistic vision: Timeless Notes. This theme celebrates not only the timeless genre of jazz and the impact it has on live music, but it also celebrates the festival’s humble beginnings while highlighting its transformation into a signature event for live arts and, most importantly, community spirit.
View + Download Our 2024 Event BrochureThe Duck Jazz Festival Presented by PNC takes place in the Town of Duck annually on Columbus Day weekend.
The 2025 event will begin with a Concert on the Green style event, on Saturday, October 11, 2025 from 4 – 6 p.m. Return to the park on Sunday, October 12, 2025, to enjoy a full day of music during this free, non-ticketed festival showcasing national, regional and local jazz musicians on two stages. Gates open at 10:00 a.m. with live music starting at 11:00 a.m. and food and soft drinks available for purchase from Duck eateries.
- Chairs are available for rent on-site from Just for the Beach.
- The festival takes place rain or shine.
- Attendees are invited to bring food, coolers, chairs, blankets, and well-behaved dogs.
- The Duck Town Park is smoke-free.
- Please no umbrellas or tents during the Duck Jazz Festival. This allows all attendees an unobstructed view.
- Videotaping of the performances is prohibited.
- Plastic, aluminum, and glass recycling are available onsite. However, for the safety of our volunteers, please consider taking your glass home with you to recycle.
This year jazz-related events leading up to the main event include a Children’s Storytime and Rhythm Play, a performance by the Elizabeth City State University Choir, a Movie on the Green featuring Back to the Future, a Community Concert on the Green and a Live Jam at the Bluepoint. Live music and special activities will be taking place around town at Duck businesses. For event updates, follow Duck Jazz Festival on Facebook and Twitter, and use #duckjazz on your posts and pictures.
Get involved!
This event is not possible without the amazing support of our volunteers and community members. You don’t have to live in Duck to join the fun! Online volunteer registration for the 2025 festival will be available in late summer. Contact Betsy Trimble, volunteer coordinator, for more info at btrimble@townofduck.com or 252-255-1234.

Duck Jazz Festival Environmental Policy
The Duck Jazz Festival is an annual event hosted and sponsored by the Town of Duck. As part of the Town’s vision, a commitment to environmental stewardship is one of our unifying principles.
There is a conscious respect for Duck’s fragile and extraordinary environment. We protect and preserve opportunities for our residents and visitors to enjoy our ocean, sound, and natural coastal habitats. We value our pristine, safe, uninterrupted beaches, which are our most valuable asset. Our resilience and adaptability, guided by environmental awareness and forward thinking, ensure our sustainability as a community.
As the event planners of the Duck Jazz Festival, we commit to reducing single use plastic waste at our events, along with promoting environmentally friendly aspects of our park/festival grounds, including water bottle refilling stations, solar trash compactors, mixed recycling facilities, and energy and water efficient fixtures in our administrative buildings.
Our commitment to the environment extends to our attendees, our staff, and the community we serve. We will:
• Comply with all applicable environmental regulations
• Encourage and teach appropriate recycling during events
• Reduce single use plastic where possible, and request that our vendors do the same
• Train all of our staff on our environmental program and empower them to contribute and participate
• Communicate our environmental commitment and efforts to our attendees, staff, and our community
• Continually improve over time by striving to measure our environmental impacts by setting goals to reduce these impacts each year