Florida's Riviera Kicks off Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest October 12-14

Florida's Riviera is gearing up for their 5th Annual Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest presented by REGALIA Limited Edition Living from Friday, Oct. 12 - Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012. Set amid the backdrop of 2 ½ miles of the Atlantic Ocean, Sunny Isles Beach will again celebrate the extraordinary sounds of jazz music throughout the weekend; produced by the City of Sunny Isles Beach and Sunny Isles Beach Tourism & Marketing Council and sponsored by Atlantic Broadband, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, BB&T, FIAT North Miami, Greater Miami Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Heineken, Miami Dade County and S. Pellegrino to benefit Joshua's Heart Foundation.

"We are both excited and honored to host our fifth annual Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest which year on year has been attracting visitors from all over," said Sunny Isles Beach Mayor Norman Edelcup. "This gives us the opportunity to show that we are a destination that offers more than just sand and sun, but rich, cultural experiences too. Jazz is for everyone, just like Sunny Isles Beach."

Expecting to bring in more than 2,000 festival goers, performances include the Grammy nominated contemporary jazz pianist and composer David Benoit; Tony Sona Trio with special guest appearance by Gail Robin; Ira Sullivan; Oriente Band; Rose Max; Ramatis Brazilian Jazz featuring Dorio Ferreira and the Frank Axtell Quartet. Saturday's performance will be at the city's Heritage Park. Offering ample space for families to gather, the park is an excellent venue to listen to the sweet sounds of jazz and celebrate the festivities.

The festival kicks off Friday, Oct. 12, at Acqualina Resort & Spa from 8:00 to 11:00 PM and includes an evening of Jazz ($25 plus tax, bar side; $65 plus tax, pre-fixed three course menu; $8 valet parking) featuring Tony Sona Trio with a special guest appearance by Gail Robin at the Piazzetta Marketplace & Restaurant. On Saturday, from 12:00 to 4:00 PM, a Jazz BBQ by Solé on the Ocean will feature Oriente Band bringing jazz music to the city's beachfront. The main event takes place later on Saturday evening at Heritage Park from 6:30 to 10:00 PM (tickets are $25.00 per person) featuring David Benoit, Ira Sullivan, Rose Max and Ramatis Brazilian Jazz featuring Dorio Ferreira. Lastly, the Solé on the Ocean will also be hosting a Jazz Brunch ($40 per person), with performances by the renowned Frank Axtell Quartet.

"Joshua's Heart Foundation looks forward to this event each year and deeply appreciate our partnership with the Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest," said Claudia McLean, vice president of the Joshua's Heart Foundation. "It is a wonderful opportunity to build awareness and support of our efforts to stomp out hunger. With each year that goes by, we are able to expand our following and are confident that this year will bring the same result."

The 5th Annual Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.