First weekend of the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival a success

It’s hailed as the kick-off to summer in Saskatoon. Every year for 10 days more than 80,000 people flock downtown to take in the sights and sounds of the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival.

“We have festivals year round, but Jazz Fest really feels like everybody’s out,” said Aviva Kohen, director of media for Tourism Saskatoon. “There’s venues all around town, people are coming and enjoying different shows.”

READ MORE: SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival releases 2018 lineup

People were out in full force for the festival’s opening weekend. The main stage in the Bessborough Gardens was full and the free stage is getting its fair share of crowds as well.

Marketing director for the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival Cathy McMurtry said the free stage has been more successful since moving to Kiwanis Park.

“This is only the second year we’ve had it in this area and we’ve been adding on to it with lots of games and more food vendors, so it’s becoming more of an experience to pull people in,” McMurtry said.

All of the traffic is impacting the city in many other ways, with people coming from all over Canada, the U.S. and even overseas. Kohen said Jazz Festival brings in a significant revenue and affects many different sectors around the city.

“Our hotel partners are very busy downtown, the restaurants, retail. People are out and about and spending, ” Kohen said. “We’re seeing a lot of ‘bleisure’ travel. That’s business and leisure combined, so people are extending their business trips when they come to the city.”

So far there have been minimal hiccups and with one whole week of the festival left to go, McMurtry says the steady crowds are a sure sign of its continued success.

“We’ve only had to cancel one free stage show on our very first day, but other than that every show has gone on so we’re well on our way to a really wonderful Jazz Festival.”