Ida Cox Summer Music Series opens this weekend with Toccoa Jazz

By Jessica Waters

The 2023 Ida Cox Music Series begins tomorrow, June 3.

The headlining act for the first week of the Series will be Toccoa Jazz, a local favorite known throughout Northeast Georgia for their excellent performances and impressive selection of jazz classics. Toccoa Jazz has opened the summer concert series for several years in a row, said Toccoa Special Events Coordinator Misty Richardson.

She said, “Ida Cox starts this weekend with hometown favorite, Toccoa Jazz, so we’re kicking off with them again. They’ve kicked us off for a couple years in a row, so we like to start off with them and start off strong.”

The Ida Cox Music Series, named after famed Toccoa Blues musician, Ida Cox, features free music in Downtown Toccoa from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Saturday in June, July, and August, and this year’s lineup features a wide variety of music for everyone.

Richardson said, “This season we have a lot of ones we’ve had before, but we have a really good mix of new ones coming in as well. We want to have a variety for pretty much everyone. So we have all genres just about coming, which is very exciting. So if something’s not your cup of tea, wait a week or two and it will be.

The event is focused on offering live music, food and drink in a relaxing atmosphere, but Richardson reminds everyone that there are regulations in place that make the event fun for everyone, while remaining within the confines of local laws and regulations.

She said, “I do want to say that We are going to be enforcing “ no outside alcohol” at Ida Cox. We do want to stick to the rules and the code enforcement of the entertainment district. Over the years, we’ve kind of gotten a little lax, but since we do have that special entertainment district, which is just so incredible to have downtown, so we really want to respect that in the rules so we are still allowing coolers to come in, but we’re making sure we’re saying ‘no outside alcohol,’ and it is possible coolers may be inspected if anything is suspected. But we just want to encourage everyone, if you want to drink, go to R&R Prime, and get the cup. We just want to make sure we’re doing it all legally, so no open containers and all of that.”

The 2023 Ida Cox Music Series schedule includes:

Last Call Band on June 10,

The Original Splitz Band on June 17

The Rick Fowler Band on June 24

The Edgar Loudermilk Band on July 1

Clay Page on July 8

The Vintage Vixens on July 15

Green Eggs and Pam on July 22

Scott Low and The Southern Bouillon on July 29

Brass Animals on August 5

Randall Bramblett on August 12

The Wobblers on August 19

And Milkshake Mayfield on August 26

It is recommended that you bring lawn chairs or other seating options with you to the event. For more information, contact Sharon Crosby or Misty Richardson at 706-282-3309 or visit www.idacoxmusicseries.com.