Denver’s historic Five Points is one of the city’s oldest and most diverse neighborhoods. During Black History Month, its legacy as the “Harlem of the West” comes alive through the Five Points Jazz Roots Festival.
During two Saturdays of live music staged at venues throughout the neighborhood, guests are encouraged to move and groove throughout Welton Street, learning about the area’s history and culture along the way.
Once a frequent stop for jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis in the early to mid-20th century, Five Points earned national recognition for clubs like the Rossonian and the Rainbow Ballroom—venues that helped define Denver’s jazz culture.
Over the years, the neighborhood also served as the cultural, social and economic heart of Denver’s African American community. In the 1920s, over 90 percent of Denver’s African American residents lived in Five Points and the adjacent Whittier neighborhood, and Zion Baptist Church, Colorado’s oldest African American congregation, has been holding services there since 1865.
Today, the neighborhood’s creativity and vibrancy lives on through innovative coffeehouses, lively music venues and beloved bars and restaurants, despite gentrification and shifting resident demographics.
Jazz Roots in Five Points, hosted by the Five Points Business Improvement District (BID), aims to celebrate the neighborhood’s past, honoring a legacy that has never stopped evolving.
When & Where
February 7 & February 21
Shows starting every hour from 2-10 p.m.
Admission: Free | Family Friendly | RSVP available
RSVP link and schedule: https://www.fivepointsbid.com/jazzroots
What to Expect
The Jazz Roots Festival lineup showcases a mix of established voices and collaborative performances that reflect the breadth of Denver’s jazz scene.
Rather than a single stage or venue, the festival unfolds block by block at a mix of cultural institutions, gathering spaces and nightlife venues, encouraging attendees to move through the neighborhood, discover new spaces and experience jazz as a living, breathing part of the community.
Featured musicians include Purnell Steen and the Five Points Ambassadors, Tony Exum Jr., Wil Alston & Kool Grooves, Moe Valez, Enmanuel Alexander, Joe Bonner Legacy Jam Session, and many more.
African American Artist Gallery & Showcase
2590 Washington St.
In addition to music, Jazz Roots highlights local creativity through an African American Artist Gallery & Showcase, featuring artists such as Joseph Graves, Randy McNulty, Shaq Martin, James Chapman, Kaylee Bender and more.
Their work is presented as a celebration of the diversity and beauty of African American culture—and an essential companion to the festival’s live performances.
Blair-Caldwell Library Exhibition Tours
2401 Welton St.
Tour times: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
For those looking to connect the festival to the broader historical narrative of Five Points, guided exhibition tours at the Blair‑Caldwell African American Research Library offer an essential perspective.
Located on Welton Street, the library is a cornerstone of African American history in Denver, preserving stories, artifacts, and archives that document the neighborhood’s role as the heart of the city’s Black community throughout the 20th century.
Guided tours will provide opportunities to explore exhibitions and resources related to Black history and culture.
The Enduring Legacy of Five Points
Today, much of Five Points’ ongoing revitalization is guided by the Five Points BID, which works to support local businesses, strengthen the Welton Street corridor and honor the neighborhood’s cultural legacy.
Funded through Denver’s Office of Economic Development, Five Points was selected as a pilot district in 2008 as part of efforts to strengthen historic business corridors citywide.
Five Points BID focuses on attracting relevant services and amenities, supporting small businesses, fostering collaboration between residents and property owners and promoting Five Points as a destination for arts, culture, and entertainment.
At its core, the organization seeks to amplify Five Points’ role as a historic gathering place while investing in its future as a vibrant, community-centered district.
