Quincy Square grand opening festival set for two days in July

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 20, 2025

The city of Bremerton and the Downtown Bremerton Association will host a two-day Grand Opening Festival to celebrate the revitalization of Quincy Square, named in honor of legendary music producer and civil rights advocate Quincy Jones, who grew up here.

The free, family-friendly event is set for July 12, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and July 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The celebration will take place at Quincy Square, located on Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue in downtown Bremerton.

Headlining the event are soul singer Grace Love and jazz vocalist Eugenie Jones. The festival will also feature more than 60 vendors, artists and small businesses as part of a street market experience in partnership with the Black Night Market. Attendees can expect live music, food trucks, art installations, and cultural performances.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at noon July 12 to honor the community members and visionaries behind the project.

Quincy Square’s design pays tribute to Jones’ lifelong love of music, which he first discovered in Bremerton in the 1940s. As a young boy, Jones stumbled upon a piano in the Bremerton Armory, a moment he later described as life-changing.

“Bremerton has always held a special place in my heart as it was where I first discovered what would be my life’s passion, music,” Jones wrote in a 2019 letter to Mayor Greg Wheeler.

Jones, who hoped to see the project completed, died in November 2024. His brother, Richard Jones, attended the groundbreaking ceremony in January, held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Festival goers will also be able to view a new mural by artist KaDavien Baylor on the northwest corner of Fourth Street and Washington Avenue. The mural, inspired by Jones’ colorful scarves, includes a silhouette of the artist surrounded by musical notes and collaborators such as Michael Jackson and Ray Charles.

“Quincy Square is more than a space, it’s a celebration of creativity, culture and connection,” said Jessica Combs, executive director of the Downtown Bremerton Association.

The new square features a permanent bandstand that will serve as a venue for community performances, open mics and artistic showcases year-round.