Jacksonville Jazz Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jacksonville Jazz Festival |
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1998 Jacksonville Jazz Festival poster
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| Genre | Jazz |
| Dates | Memorial Day Weekend |
| Location(s) | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Years active | 1979-1981 (Mayport) 1982–present (Downtown) |
| Founded by | Jake Godbold, Mike Tolbert |
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is a big annual music event. It takes place every year in Jacksonville, Florida. This festival celebrates Jazz music and has been happening for over 40 years. It's a fun way to enjoy live music in the city.
Contents
Discovering the Jazz Festival
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is a yearly celebration of jazz music. It offers three days of free live entertainment. These shows happen on different stages in downtown Jacksonville. It's a great chance to hear many talented musicians.
The Jazz Piano Competition
The festival always starts with an exciting event. This is the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. Young and talented pianists compete for prizes. They also get a chance to play on the main stage.
This competition used to be called The Great American Jazz Piano Competition. In 1983, a famous musician named Marcus Roberts won. He beat out a 16-year-old Harry Connick Jr., who later became very famous too. The competition performances are held at the Florida Theatre.
Other Festival Fun
Besides the main concerts and piano competition, there are other cool things to do.
- Jazz Marketplace: Here you can find different vendors and unique items.
- Jazz Jam: This is a chance for musicians to play together.
- Sacred Jazz Brunch: A special event combining jazz music with a brunch meal.
The Festival's Journey
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival began in 1979. Jake Godbold, who was the Mayor of Jacksonville, and his helper Mike Tolbert started it. They wanted the festival to help the small fishing village of Mayport.
Early Days in Mayport
The first festival was a one-day free concert. It featured local musicians and one big star. Organizers thought only a few hundred people would come. But about 25,000 people showed up! The next year, even more people came. Mayport became too crowded for the event.
Because of the large crowds, the festival moved. In 1982, it found a new home at Metropolitan Park. This park was in downtown Jacksonville. The festival stayed free for many years. Famous musicians like Dizzy Gillespie performed for a low cost. Local churches and groups helped by selling food and drinks. This helped the festival make money.
Changes Over Time
In 1985, a public television station, WJCT, took over the festival. They used it to raise money for their station. As time went on, famous musicians started asking for more money to perform. For example, Miles Davis played in 1986 for about $25,000. This was much more than earlier headliners.
Costs for the festival grew faster than the money from sponsors. So, in 1995, the festival started charging a $5 entry fee. This helped cover some of the costs. However, some people who just wanted to hang out stopped coming.
By the late 1990s, about 20,000 people attended. But this was not enough to cover the rising costs. After the 2000 festival, WJCT stopped sponsoring it. This meant there was no festival in 2001 and 2002.
The City Steps In
The City of Jacksonville brought the festival back in 2003. They invited Tony Bennett to be the main performer. He was the most expensive act in the festival's history. He was paid $100,000 for his performance.
The 2003 festival was free to enter. About 60,000 people came on a sunny weekend. But the festival still spent half a million dollars more than it made. In 2004, it rained, and only 22,000 people attended. The festival lost money again.
In 2006, the city decided to charge admission again. But the festival still faced financial challenges. In 2007 and 2008, the festival had to be made smaller. Music was mostly limited to Metropolitan Park. Before this, concerts were also held at the Florida and Ritz theaters. The festival continues to be a beloved event in Jacksonville.
