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Planners of Sunday's 14th annual Takoma Park JazzFest are preparing for a colorful event marked by swing dancing and a distinct emphasis on Latin and Brazilian music styles.

The first of the city's many summer festivals and outdoor events, the festival will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Carroll Avenue in Old Town, from the Swing Dance Stage at the corner of Willow Avenue to the Gazebo Stage at the corner of Tulip Avenue.

"Our ability to connect with one another through the language of music is what makes us feel alive," event spokeswoman Kathleen Bryan said. "The JazzFest just presents another opportunity for us to come together, dance, sing and experience the magic of music.

"I'm really looking forward to the swing dancing, and I'm also so excited about the Brazilians who are going to be performing."

The event will feature a number of prominent International performers, including Brazilian musicians Maucha Adnet and Duduka Da Fonseca, both students of the famous Brazilian jazz performer AntÙnio Carlos Jobim, as well as local mainstays such as Chuck Redd and the Junkyard Saints.

Redd, who will play alongside Adnet and Fonseca, can still remember his first invitation to play at the festival. A sudden storm blew in just as he and his mentor and good friend, the late Charlie Byrd, prepared to take the stage. A group of 30 fans stood their ground, and the band played straight through the storm.

"I'm thrilled that the festival exists," Redd said. "It does my heart good to see this happening in my hometown [and] hopefully with some of the Brazilians we're bringing into town we'll get some of that Copacabana sunshine [this year]."

Camilo Diaz of the Tairona Latin Jazz Project is also excited to bring his band's Colombian/Caribbean style to the festival. The Washington, D.C.-based band was awarded a spot on the lineup after winning the JazzBrawl competition in February.

"We went last year just as an outing, and this year we're happy to be a part of the festival," Diaz said. "I would like for people to understand the concept of the Latin jazz that we make."

The festival, as always, will be free and open to the public, and will feature a number of local and international food vendors as well as crafts vendors. There will be parking available near the festival, including 80 spaces in the lot next to CVS on Willow Avenue and another 60 in the parking lot behind the 7-Eleven at Maple Avenue and Carroll Street.

The CVS lot will cost $3 per space while parking at the Maple Avenue lot will be free, said Bryan, who said she expects a majority of attendees will either walk to the event or use the Metro.

"What's really nice is Takoma Park is on the Red Line and the Takoma station is approximately two blocks from where the festival is going to be," she said. "We're hoping that a lot of people will use the Metro, but we'll certainly have parking [onsite]."

The 14th Annual Takoma Park JazzFest, featuring two stages and 12 bands, will be held 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday along Carroll Avenue in Old Town Takoma Park. For more information, visit the festival Web site at www.tpjazzfest,org.