Galesburg Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival Set For May 5-9, 2026
The 46th annual Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival (“Baga”) will offer a mix of concerts, school tours, nightly performances at Smokin’ Willie’s BBQ and a headline concert at the Orpheum Theater in Galesburg, Illinois running Tuesday, May 5, through Saturday, May 9, 2026.
Headliners will include The Baga Big Band, The Alyssa Allgood Sextet, Victor Garcia, Greg Ward, and Doug Stone. The schedule of events is below:
2026 Rootabaga Jazz Festival Schedule
Tuesday, May 5th
7:00 PM: Doug Stone Rootabaga School Tour Band at United High School
Wednesday, May 6th
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Local High School Big Bands (Galesburg Junior High, Canton, ROWVA) & Jammers Big Band at Smokin’ Willies BBQ
8:00 PM: Cherry St. Combo with Doug Stone at Smokin’ Willies BBQ
Thursday, May 7th
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Faculty and Friends Band at Smokin’ Willies BBQ
Friday, May 8th
6:00 PM: Galesburg High School Big Bands at Smokin’ Willies BBQ
7:00 PM & 9:00 PM: Alyssa Allgood Sextet (with Victor Garcia & Greg Ward) at Smokin’ Willies BBQ
8:00 PM: Cherry St. Combo w/ Doug Stone at Smokin’ Willies BBQ
Saturday, May 9th (Main Event)
6:30 PM: Rootabaga High School All-Stars Big Band at Orpheum Theatre
7:00 PM: Knox Jazz Ensemble at Orpheum Theatre
8:00 PM: The Baga Big Band (feat. Justin Haynes, Victor Garcia, Greg Ward, Doug Stone, & Alyssa Allgood) at Orpheum Theatre
Admission Saturday night at the Orpheum Theatre is free, while other nights at Smokin’ Willies have a small cover charge ($3-$10).
The festival includes a two-day tour visiting six Galesburg schools, including Costa, Silas Willard, Steele, King, Lombard, and Galesburg High School.
In addition to the May festival, the Jerome Mirza Jazz Residency is scheduled for November 2-6, 2026, bringing guest artists to campus for workshops and a public concert.
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