The lineup for the 20th anniversary of the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival includes Grammy Award winner and saxophonist David Sanborn.
Tickets went on sale Feb. 26 for the annual three-day festival that is Gahanna's annual signature event and one of the state's largest celebrations of blues and jazz.
Visit Gahanna, also known as the Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau, serves as the producer of the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, and it recently released the lineup for this year's presentation June 15-17.
"We are especially excited for this year's musical acts and lineup, and all of the special treats we have in store to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this very special festival," said Laurie Jadwin, Visit Gahanna executive director.
"It's wonderful how this event has grown in size and stature from the first year it was held, and I think it's a reflection of the growth and spirit of Gahanna itself."
Louis Tsamous, who coordinates entertainment for the Jazz Stage, said Jadwin wants to make a big splash for the 20th anniversary.
"David Sanborn is the most high-profile jazz artist we've had in the history of the festival," he said.
"We're bringing him in on Friday night."
Sanborn has won six Grammy Awards and has released 24 albums of which eight went gold and one reached platinum.
The St. Louis native contracted polio at the age of 3, and he was introduced to the saxophone as part of his treatment therapy, according to the artist's website, david-sanborn.com.
He eventually studied music at Northwestern University before transferring to the University of Iowa, where he played and studied under saxophonist JR Monterose, according to his site.
Before his solo career took off in 1975, Sanborn joined the Butterfield Blues Band and played Woodstock with Paul Butterfield.
In addition to Sanborn, Tsamous said, the June 16 jazz headliner will be The Urban Jazz Coalition with special guest Lin Rountree, a trumpeter from Detroit.
On June 17, the jazz headliner is the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, featuring Byron Stripling.
"This will be the first time they've performed in the festival in five years," Tsamous said.
"Byron Stripling will be leading them that night. He performs all over the world."
He said the festival has a great combination of local and regional groups.
Headlining the Union Bank Electric Blues Stage from 9:30 to 11 p.m. June 15 is Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band; from 9:15 to 11 p.m. June 16 is Sean Carney and Friends; and from 4 to 6 p.m. June 17 will be McGuffey Lane.
"The headliners are the icing on the cake, but the whole lineup is high-quality music," Tsamous said.
This year's list of performers boasts the festival's biggest lineup of blues and jazz artists and includes dozens of musical acts on multiple stages: The Union Bank Electric Blues Stage; the Heartland Bank Jazz Stage; the Mount Carmel Creekside Community Stage; and the Toyota Direct Acoustic Alley Stage, according to Jadwin.
The entertainment isn't limited to music, however, as this year's festival will feature expanded tasting offerings.
Watershed Distillery will be on hand again to showcase its latest take on cocktails.
Brown-Forman's Whiskey Ambassador Whiskey Pete also will return for the anniversary celebration with his take on bourbon and whiskey tastings.
Jadwin said Gahanna's own Noble Cut Distillery, new to central Ohio's distillery scene, would offer tastings of its new product line that includes a limoncello made from a 242-year-old family recipe.
She said the festival delivers fun for everyone with family-friendly offerings such as interactive musical workshops for children on the Musical Discovery Zone Stage.
New this year is the COTA Teen Stage, which will feature teenage musical artists from central Ohio.
Another area of the festival, Buskers Bayou, will feature magicians, balloon artists, jugglers and more.
Food vendors, an artisan market, amusement and paddleboat rides and other activities also will be featured.
An estimated 35,000-plus people are expected to attend the festival that features more than 90 hours of live music and entertainment.
Festival hours are 5 to 11 p.m. June 15, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 16 and noon to 6 p.m. June 17.
Admission is $7 June 15 and 17 and $10 June 16.
Children under 12 and members of the military (and their immediate family) with military identification, are admitted for free.
Discounted weekend passes are available online prior to the festival weekend at creeksidebluesandjazz.com. Tickets are $15 through April 30 and $18 from May 1 through June 8.
After June 8, weekend passes will be available online, or at admission gates on June 16, at $21.
A complete lineup and additional information is available at www.creeksidebluesandjazz.com or by calling Visit Gahanna, 614-418-9114.
mkuhlman@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekMarla