Jazz Festival Homeless!

[thelakelander]

The annual Jacksonville Jazz festival is homeless.  This sound like a good opportunity to move it to a more centralized urban location.  Klutho Park, Hemming Plaza (and the surrounding DT streets) anyone?

The city says that it’s committed to hosting the Jacksonville Jazz Festival this year â€" but where and when is still up in the air. For now, the venerable festival is homeless.


"I don’t want anyone to get panicked. We’ve just got to tweak the date, tweak the venue," said Theresa O’Donnell, director of special events for Jacksonville.


The festival was originally scheduled for the first weekend of April in downtown’s Metropolitan Park. But the city, which runs the jazz festival, agreed to move from that date to avoid clashing with the Springing the Blues festival in Jacksonville Beach, said O’Donnell.


Springing the Blues, a privately-run event co-sponsored by the city of Jacksonville Beach, has staked out that weekend for the past 18 years, while the jazz festival has shifted around on the calendar. Sam Veal, promoter of Springing the Blues, asked Jacksonville officials to change the date.


Veal maintained that it made no sense to schedule both events on the same weekend. They attract a similar kind of music fan and compete for volunteers and vendors, he said, and the locations are too far apart for people to easily go from one to the other.


"Why would you do this?” he said. “(The jazz festival) is an event that’s already challenged. Why are you going to create more obstacles, more challenges ... by putting it in a competitive basis against another event?"


The free blues festival routinely draws more than 100,000 people over its run, Veal said. In 2008, the jazz festival drew 12,500 paying customers. Christina Langston of Jacksonville’s special events office said it cost the city about $400,000 to put the festival on last year.


O’Donnell said the city is looking for open weekend dates for the jazz festival, as well as a place to hold it. A decision needs to be made within a few weeks, she said, to allow enough time to book acts and notify fans.


Metropolitan Park, which has long been the central venue for the jazz festival, is heavily booked through the spring, and the city is reluctant to boot out another event to make way for jazz, she said.

One possibility could be using the park for one day of the event and staging acts in other venues on other days, O’Donnell said.

Asked about not holding a jazz festival this year, O’Donnell replied: "That’s the last possibility."


She said the city is committed to the jazz festival, which it took over in 2003 after a two-year gap. Jacksonville started the festival in 1980 as a free event in Mayport, then moved it to Metropolitan Park in 1982 with WJCT on board as a co-sponsor. The public radio and TV station became sole producer from 1985 to 2000.


"If it’s not at Met Park, you’ll see us go off in a totally different direction, which is exciting too," O’Donnell said.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-01-02/jazz_festival_looking_for_a_home

[Charles Hunter]

Interesting idea, but could either Hemming or Klutho accommodate the crowds?  The article says there were  more than 12,000 paying customers at Metro Park last year.  Is there a way to even set up gates to charge?  If not, attendance will be even higher than last year's paid number.

You would also run into a stone wall of opposition from FBC to people drinking out in the open at either location.

I don't know what the events are at Metro in April, but one of them probably has to "go" (maybe they would fit in Hemming, Klutho, or Friendship) - as does the person who scheduled the JazzFest same weekend as Springing the Blues.

Edit to Add - just checked the on-line Metro Park schedule, in only goes up to March, so we can't tell what other stuff is scheduled in April that might conflict with the Jazz Festival

Edited Again to Further Add - the Baseball Grounds have a Moto-Cross event April 4 - but is the Stadium available those other weekends?  Nothing is listed on JaxEvents.com for the stadium in April.

[BridgeTroll]

Unreal... gee... lets schedule two nearly identical events at the same time... unreal.

[thelakelander]

Interesting idea, but could either Hemming or Klutho accommodate the crowds?  The article says there were  more than 12,000 paying customers at Metro Park last year.  Is there a way to even set up gates to charge?  If not, attendance will be even higher than last year's paid number.

Perhaps it should be set up differently, in a fashion that incorporates downtown's venues and businesses without forcing everyone to pay to get through a gate?  How about a free street festival down a public corridor that connects the charging venues?  While different from the Metro Park set up, this would actually help existing retailers in the DT core.

You would also run into a stone wall of opposition from FBC to people drinking out in the open at either location.

As long as it's not breaking the law, just ignore them.

[Charles Hunter]

Interesting idea, but could either Hemming or Klutho accommodate the crowds?  The article says there were  more than 12,000 paying customers at Metro Park last year.  Is there a way to even set up gates to charge?  If not, attendance will be even higher than last year's paid number.

Perhaps it should be set up differently, in a fashion that incorporates downtown's venues and businesses without forcing everyone to pay to get through a gate?  How about a free street festival down a public corridor that connects the charging venues?  While different from the Metro Park set up, this would actually help existing retailers in the DT core.

You would also run into a stone wall of opposition from FBC to people drinking out in the open at either location.

As long as it's not breaking the law, just ignore them.

Interesting idea for a downtown street festival - it might work, and increase business for DT eating/drinking places.

Well, without an exception or waiver for the JazzStreetFest, it would be breaking the law about "not drinking on public property" - look at the stink about people carrying drinks around for Art Walk.  Also, FBC has several members on the Council.  Don't think it could be ignored.

[brainstormer]

I say shut down Laura Street from Hemming to the Landing and move the Jazz Festival downtown.  Make it a free event and put food and arts vendors along Laura to connect the two venues.  One stage at the Landing, another at Hemming and maybe one or two smaller ones along Laura street.  Rebrand the event as Jacksonville's Downtown Jazz Festival and promote it as a free, music filled day for the family with lots of food and opportunities to enjoy downtown business.  Book a headline act for Sat. night at the Landing and perhaps charge a cover to help gain a little revenue.  This year keep the festival one jam packed day (Saturday) and then if all goes well, expand it to two days in the future.

[triclops i]

Make it free again, like it used to and should be....

and bring it to Springfeild.! Sounds like a good opp for SPAR/Klutho Park.

I

[Ocklawaha]

Okay, maybe I'm off my medications, but I'm thinking somewhere WAY OUT OF THE BOX... Examples:

Let MITSU - OSAKA - host it in the hold of a Panamax container ship

Let's hold it at Union Terminal, damn two stages and room for thousands that have never seen the place.

Kuthlo Park?

I've got it! The old FORD ASSEMBLY PLANT --- NOW how cool would THAT be?

Outdoors at Francis Field Blimp Base by World Golf Village?

OCKLAWAHA

[heights unknown]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what to do; duh!!!!!!!  Being a musician I have the solution:  Consolidate the two and hold the event at metro park....Greater Jacksonville Blues and Jazz Festival.  One day of blues, next day of jazz, it could be free or low ticket prices. You have enough seats to accomodate the crowds, and you have one big festival with blues one day, and jazz the next; and of course start it early in the a.m. on the weekend to ensure all venues get to perform.

Heights Unknown

[JeffreyS]

Heights Jax beach has done a lot over the years to make this an event to promote itself and get a nice weekend influx of money.  I am sure they don't want to give that up because COJ can't work a calendar.

[BridgeTroll]

Heights Jax beach has done a lot over the years to make this an event to promote itself and get a nice weekend influx of money.  I am sure they don't want to give that up because COJ can't work a calendar.

Exactly!  Why would anyone want to tie their successful stand alone event with the COJ.  Not a chance of this happening!  The calls for a free event downtown seems like a good idea but the artists require payment.  Jazz festival sells a lot of tickets for the event.  That revenue must be made up somewhere...

[thelakelander]

Aren't there several free music festivals across the country?  How do they pull these off?  Is it worthwhile to incorporate some of their successful techniques?  Another option could be one that has a mix of free activities and charging venues.  An example of this would be street vendors and limited festival activities on a public street, connecting paying venues.

[02roadking]

Aren't there several free music festivals across the country?  How do they pull these off?  Is it worthwhile to incorporate some of their successful techniques?  Another option could be one that has a mix of free activities and charging venues.  An example of this would be street vendors and limited festival activities on a public street, connecting paying venues.

I would say sponsers of some sort pay. Check out the line-up for the NO "Jazz" Fest. Of course, it has been around 40 years. I may actually go this year. Looks awesome.

http://www.nojazzfest.com/index.php?http%3A//www.nojazzfest.com/info/faq.php

[heights unknown]

Well if it can't be held at Jax Beach, and won't be held at Jax Beach, then move it somewhere else.  This is what irks me about the great City of Jacksonville, we always say that we can't, or we won't, or we "piddle twiddle and resolve, not one damn thing do we solve."

If it can't or won't work elsewhere for whatever reason, then move it somewhere else, be more creative and innovative and make it work in the new location.  And as far as COJ not having a good track record, don't y'all think it's time that somewhere lit a fire under their a** and hold them accountable?  Make them earn their pay! 

Heights Unknown

[BridgeTroll]

Aren't there several free music festivals across the country?  How do they pull these off?  Is it worthwhile to incorporate some of their successful techniques?  Another option could be one that has a mix of free activities and charging venues.  An example of this would be street vendors and limited festival activities on a public street, connecting paying venues.

Absolutely!  I agree lake... All I am saying is the revenue raised through ticket sales needs to be replaced.  How about paying for performances at the Florida Theater and The Ritz and free shows around downtown?