Jazz Festival Draws Over 650 Attendees

On Aug. 2, Gene Hayworth, Executive Director of the Niwot Jazz Festival, gave a wrap-up report to the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID), which provided funding for over half the cost of the free festival.

The event, sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association, marked its second year of bringing live jazz to Niwot. To measure the success of the festival, volunteers conducted an hourly attendance count and handed out surveys to gather information about those attending. Everyone who completed the survey was eligible to enter a drawing for Leonard Feather's informative book, "The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz."

When the festival started at 3:00 p.m., there were approximately 80 audience members. By the end of the day, over 650 people filled the Cottonwood Square parking lot, dancing to the music of the popular salsa band, Quemando.

Festival performers included the Hot Tomatoes Dance Orchestra, Andres Orco on solo guitar, and The Three Tenors with Rich Chiaraluce, Pete Lewis, and Eric McGregor.

Greg Harris on solo vibraphone also performed, as did Steve Mullins on flamenco guitar. Headliner Janis Siegel, vocalist for Manhattan Transfer, appeared with Chuck Redd, Brad Goode, and the Keith Waters Trio before Quemando took the stage to finish out the evening.

Forty-two people completed the survey, and results indicated that while most people came from Niwot, Boulder and Longmont, the festival also drew music lovers from Broomfield and Thornton, and as far away as Tucson, Arizona. Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed said that they visited six to nine Niwot businesses, and two percent said they patronized more than six. When asked how they heard about the festival, respondents gave a wide variety of answers, including social media, posters, Meetup, the Boulder Daily Camera, Rock 'n Rails, the Niwot Business Association, the Longmont Times Call, and the Left Hand Valley Courier.

In addition to the LID funding, festival organizers raised an additional $10,000, which included support from local business sponsors, individual donations, tee-shirt sales, and a $3,000 grant from Pathways to Jazz. After expenses of $16,000 to cover the cost of the music, portable toilet facilities, advertising and miscellaneous expenses, the Niwot Jazz Festival has a remaining balance of $13,000 in reserve for next year's festival.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities for 2023 or to make a donation, please contact Gene Hayworth by email at [email protected].