Jacksonville Jazz Festival headed to Laura Street Corridor

[thelakelander]

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival will be held on Laura Street, between Hemming Plaza and The Landing.

Jacksonville Jazz Festival
May 21-24, 2009
Downtown Jacksonville â€" Laura Street Corridor (Laura Street between Hemming Plaza and The Jacksonville Landing)

Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition
May 21, 2009
The Florida Theatre

The 2009 festival will continue the tradition of Jazz in Jacksonville with a variety of jazz genres and special components. Other activities include the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, the Art in the Heart Art Show & Sale, Wine Down: A Wine Tasting Experience featuring a variety of fine wines, the ‘Round Midnight Jazz Jam and a Jazz Brunch. For more information, visit www.jaxjazzfest.com, e-mail events@coj.net or call 904-630-3690.

http://www.coj.net/Departments/Recreation+and+Community+Services/Special+Events/Jazz+Festival/Default.htm

[BridgeTroll]

This is good news... the logistics will prove interesting...

[Ocklawaha]

I want to "SEE THIS!" HA! HA! Q#(Y$!@*(y&~*&)#~y#_)!

These folks don't remember the first Mayport Festival at the ferry landing? 100,000 person's in lines 12 miles long. Standing at the landing, one should get a great view of the band up by Monroe Street! Holy #$(@

This is FUNNY!

I LOVE this idea! Talk about entertainment! CNN here we come!

Bring your camcorders boys and girls cause this is headed for CLUSTER @*#$

OCKLAWAHA

[dganson]

Ock, why don't you wait and see the plan before you decide it will be a disaster. On the one hand you always complain that the city doesn't promote downtown...and when they do you complain about the way they do it. Contempt prior to investigation!!! It may suck but it might be great. Always critical.... you are the problem not the solution.

[thelakelander]

After spending a week in DC's crowds and seeing the amount of money that flowed into those local businesses on crowded streets, bring it on.  




I'll take festivals that bring people to the front door of local businesses over those confined to an isolated park a mile from the heart of downtown anyday.  View it as an opportunity to be a part of a downtown scene that has just as many people in the streets as those in the historic photos.

[Ocklawaha]

I think this is a great idea.

Hemming Park and the Landing as anchors?

Finally they are doing some thinking.   It will be all in the execution of course.  But it wouldnt hurt to have street festivals every month downtown.

Couldn't agree with you more Stephendare, I love the concept - it's just based on long experience with our lovely city, that execution becomes a key question. I'm sure as hell going to have a 50 yard line seat.

OCKLAWAHA

[vicupstate]

Finally, a deccison about DT that actually makes sense. 

Big thumbs up to whoever hsd the idea. 

[Ocklawaha]

Was it moved due to a great idea or plan, or, was it moved because of the NIMBY's in St. Nicholas, which ALWAYS complain about the "noise". Does anyone know?

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Because Metropolitan Park is booked.

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.

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

[jtwestside]

I think this is great. Other than the art walk this will be the first major showcase of downtown since the Super Bowl.

[Joe]

The logistics will definitely be crazy, but it can be done.

Cincinnati runs the country's largest Oktoberfest with a similar layout - basically a 5 block stretch of downtown with events running down the central street plus one block of side streets in each direction. They took over a couple parking lots with large tents for performances, with the main stage on a public square. They handle a couple hundred thousand people per day.

[jbm32206]

There was also a proposal to have it held at Klutho Park, which would've been a nice location for it.

[Johnny]

There was also a proposal to have it held at Klutho Park, which would've been a nice location for it.

Maybe next year!

[JaxNole]

I see no problem with crowded streets full of people enjoying different cultural activities.  If anything, let this demonstrate downtown can be car-free.  Use the outlying parking lots or, heaven forbid, walk, bike, carpool or use our broken public transportation system.

[Dapperdan]

Metro Park was heavily booked? Who was in charge of securing the date, woudldn't you think it would have been done last year? Here's hoping the street festival works.