Then organizers want to see you and your jazz umbrellas taking part in the Grand Festival Jazz Parade, happening on May Bank Holiday as part of a packed programme of events.

The Parade pays tribute to the umbrella-waving marchers of New Orleans, who lead jazz bands through the streets in the birthplace of blues and jazz. The marchers carried decorated umbrellas to shield themselves from the hot, southern sun as they originally marched in funeral processions.
Over the course of time, the umbrella emerged as a dominant symbol of celebration in New Orleans and today is used to celebrate just about anything -- Mardi Gras, weddings, graduations, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, sporting events and so on.
“We’re a long way from New Orleans, but we can still celebrate our shared jazz ancestry,” said Festival Director Katie Thompson. “It’s a great way for anyone to get involved with the Grand Festival Jazz Parade and the Festival itself.”

Umbrella-wavers are being invited to bring their own brollies – decorated if possible – to be ready to join the Grand Festival Jazz Parade, beginning at 3pm on Bank Holiday Monday May 4, on Southside Street.

“We want this to become a spectacle and a highlight of our festival every year, so if you want to join in – get your parasol, get dressed up and ready to stroll down Southside Street to the strains of a jazz band,” says Katie.

The Grand Festival Jazz Parade will feature strolling bands playing marching Dixieland music – including London’s Fidgety Feet and Cornwall’s The Fal River Beachcombers.

Other Bank Holiday Festival fun
Bank Holiday Monday features lots of live music and street entertainment to ensure that the Barbican comes alive for the long weekend, from morning until evening.

There will be performances beneath the permanent parasols on Quay Road, in front of the Watering Hole and Bacaro, at the Mayflower Steps and even in the secretive Elizabethan Gardens off New Street.

Look out for the following (gigs are free unless otherwise stated):

Brunel Harmony Chorus - Saltash's finest lady singers remind us of the vocal roots of jazz with gospel and barbershop favourites sung in the open air. From 11am on the Quayside
Street entertainers - roving performers helping to create a Bank Holiday atmosphere for all the family. From 11am around The Barbican

Le Jazz Orchestra de Totnes - Fantastically ramshackle troupe of brass and string musicians who will be performing quayside with their exuberant arrangements. 11am on the quayside.

Mama Tokus – soulful jazz-blues singer Mama Tokus opens her Nightclub In A Box to deliver gifts of jazzy goodness on the historic spot of the Mayflower Steps.

Guy Harris - nimble-fingered guitarist Guy performs jazz and blues numbers, with a flamenco twist at 1pm in the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club.

Martin Dale Quartet - a stalwart of the South West jazz scene, Martin Dale's burnished tenor sax tones make for a shining performance. His smart quartet also features excellent Exeter-based pianist Craig Milverton. 1pm National Marine Aquarium piazza.

Swing3 - Keyboard-led trio of hep-cats, playing jazz and groove favourites, plus swingin' versions of Lennon & McCartney tunes. 1pm Watering Hole/Bacaro (under the parasols).

Jerri Hart - singer, trumpet-player, guitarist and comic performer Jerri plays jazz-favourites from the 1930s and 1940s and some of his own material. From the man who brought us Jazz Knitting and Be-bop Origami. All day throughout The Barbican.

Mama Tokus in the Gardens - an intimate performance of blues and jazz tunes in the beautiful surroundings of this hidden oasis of calm amid the cobbled lanes of the Barbican. 2pm Elizabethan Garden, New Street

Grand Festival Jazz Parade - one of the highlights of the Festival, where people bring out their customised umbrellas and turn the Barbican into a little bit of New Orleans. The parade features Fidgety Feet: a strolling Dixieland fun band with a repertoire of classic tunes guaranteeing a foot-tapping happy occasion, and Cornwall’s own Fal River Beachcombers. 3pm Southside Street, The Barbican.

Le Jazz Orchestra de Totnes - fantastically ramshackle troupe of brass and string musicians who will be performing quayside with their exuberant arrangements. 3pm, Mayflower Steps.

Jazz & Blues jam - Blues and jazz showdown! Musicians welcome! 8pm The B-bar 

The Half Quartet  - The Half Quartet plays a blend of original contemporary jazz
and a hint of familiar classics, and features Alex Christaki and Matt Brooks. 8pm Watering Hole/Bacaro (under the parasols)
Hot Banana - Swing, jive and rhythm & blues from the heydays of Louis Jordan, Louis Prima and the early days of rock'n'roll, courtesy of this flamboyantly dressed band. Featuring special guest banana Martin Dale on sax. 8pm The Refectory, Plymouth Gin. £5.