Page 25 - BusinessWest September 5, 2022

breweries and restaurants, throughout down- town; there is free jazz at these establishments all night long,” said Griggs, listing venues ranging from the the park to the Northampton Brewery; from Spoleto to the Wurst Haus.
“Jazz Fest Day will be on Saturday,” she went on. “World-class musicians are playing at no charge to the public. They’ll be playing in a vari- ety of venues in and around Pulaski Park this year.”
The main stage act, the Ron Carter Quartet, will play at the Academy of Music on Saturday.
director of the Downtown Northampton Associa- tion, taking the lead.
“Amy had come to me in 2017 and said ‘peo- ple are talking about this jazz festival. I’m not too familiar with it, but they are really looking for
live jazz downtown. Is there any way it could be brought back?’ said Griggs. “And, long story short, with Amy’s impetus, we brought it back.”
Griggs told BusinessWest that the weather for the end of September can be hit or miss, but oth- erwise it is a perfect weekend for the festival, with
Julian Parker Burns Photo
It is the one paid per- formance; patrons are required to buy tickets online before the show, she said, adding that ticket sales are on a record pace.
The Northampton Jazz Festival was started in 2011 by a group of enthusiasts who were looking for something to replace the “Taste of Northampton” as a way to bring people — and energy — to the streets of Northampton. The festival was staged in the Armory Street Parking Lot and had a five-year run before losing steam.
After a three-year absence, momentum
started to build to bring the festival back, with Amy Cahillane, executive
little else on the calendar to compete with the event. She is predicting large crowds and large amounts of energy.
“The festival adds a sense of vitality and ener- gy, like things are happening here, and that’s so important after what we’ve been through with COVID,” said Griggs. “It’s important for people to see there is creativity and artistry that’s happen- ing in Northampton that is accessible, participial, and professional. It’s good music. We’re really happy to be a part of that for people that live here as well as for people that are coming in from out of the area.”
“The festival adds a sense of
vitality and energy, like things
are happening here, and that’s so
important after what we’ve been
through with COVID. ”
Indeed, not only is the festival creating a stronger sense of community, but it is drawing people into the city. Griggs told BusinessWest that with the increased number of ticket sales, she anticipates a higher volume of visitors this year.
“Maybe they (tourists) have known about Northampton or have stopped in once or twice; maybe they haven’t stopped into the city before, but I hope that when people stumble across this jazz festival, they are just absolutely delighted by it. I just hope to bring more people to Northamp- ton than we ever have before.” u
Ruth Griggs, seen here at the 2020 Jazz Festival, says the event brings people and energy to the streets of Northampton.
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