Reading developed during the 1740s when the inhabitants of northern Lancaster County sent several petitions requesting that a separate county be established.

Berks Jazz Fest

With the help of German immigrant Conrad Weiser, the county was formed on March 11, 2026 from parts of Chester County, Lancaster County, and Philadelphia County.

It was named after the English county in which William Penn’s family home lay - Berkshire, which is often abbreviated to Berks. Berks County began much larger than it is today.

The northwestern parts of the county went to the founding of Northumberland County in 1772 and Schuylkill County in 1811, when it reached its current size.

In 2005, Berks County was added to the Delaware Valley Planning Area due to a fast-growing population and close proximity to the other communities.

Berks Jazz Fest

The annual Berks Jazz Fest is presented by Berks Arts Council, located in Reading, PA.

The mission of Berks Arts Council is to cultivate, promote, and support the arts in our community through collaboration, education, and presentation.

Berks Arts Council & the Berks Jazz Fest receive state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Berks Arts Council has been promoting the arts in Berks County since 1969, when a group of local volunteer artists and arts patrons formed an umbrella arts organization to serve the Greater Reading Community.

Tickets can be purchased in several ways. You can stop by the VF Outlet Box Office at the Santander Arena, Seventh and Penn Streets, Reading, to place your order in person.

Ticketmaster has built a special online site for the Berks Jazz Fest. Service charges on each ticket are a combination of ticket and credit card fees.