A beloved Asbury Park tradition made its long-awaited return Sunday as the Asbury Park Jazz Fest came back after more than a decade.

The free festival brought eight hours of live jazz performances to Sunset Park, drawing music lovers from across the area.

Organizers say the festival had been on hiatus for more than 10 years, but community support and a grant from the Asbury Park Urban Enterprise Zone helped bring it back.

Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn says residents never stopped asking when the festival would return.

"It's been something that the community of Asbury Park has been very, very clear that they want to have this back," Quinn said.

For many, the return of Jazz Fest is a nostalgic homecoming.

"The stage is still in the same spot," said Brenda from Neptune Township. "I remember my highlight of it being here when Bob Baldwin was here, because he autographed my CD, and I still have it."

This year’s lineup featured performances by Marel Hidalgo, Ultrablue, Antoine Knight, Reza Khan, Nick Stefanacci, Dee Brown, Ragan Whiteside and Paula Atherton.

City leaders say bringing the festival back is about more than the music. They hope it will support local businesses, bring more visitors to Main Street and revive a longtime community tradition.