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37th Annual Jazz Fest is Back! Jazz Fest is Back!

But What Goes Into Preparing Before Jazz Festival Begins?

By Polina Shemanova

KARL WINTER: The 2023 Syracuse Jazz Festival has just started in Downtown Syracuse. Polina Shemanova is downtown to show us the work that goes into setting up a festival of this size. Polina?

POLINA SHEMANOVA: This year is the 37th year of the festival. They’ve expanded into the 5-day lineup. As the stage on Clinton Square is still being assembled, this is where all the fun activities will take place on Friday and Saturday. And here is Jeremy Burton, one of the workers who makes this festival possible.

JEREMY BURTON: Yeah, we started what was an 8 a.m. yesterday and we worked a full day yesterday and we’ll work full day today. So it’s a two day to day project to get it all set and ready. Three almost, because like I said, the sound has to come in yet.

SHEMANOVA: Unlike many people would think, Jazz fest doesn’t get any money from the city. So how do they make it work?

DANNY LIEDKA: Jazz Fest actually has their own budget. The city does not contribute to that. Their budget is a little bit over $1,000,000. When all is said and done, the county is a big financial supporter as well as some corporate sponsors.

SHEMANOVA: Big names like National Grid and even Syracuse University contributed to the Jazz Fest budget. While you can enjoy performances on Clinton square on Friday and Saturday, you can also stop by at local pubs, bars, and restaurants such as Modern Malt and Funk’n Waffles starting tonight. While the vast majority of people are interested in jazz music, some people are even more excited to combine music with food.

CRISTINA CABRERA: I think I’m more excited about food. I’m a foodie, so I got to be honest.

SHEMANOVA: More than 16 thousand people attended last year’s Syracuse Jazz Fest, so I can’t wait to see a big crowd at Clinton square again.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The 37th Annual Syracuse Jazz Festival is back!

But before having fun and enjoying the music, a lot of preparations come into play. The city of Syracuse does not provide any funds for the festival. As the president of Visit Syracuse Danny Liedka explained, all the expenses are on the shoulders of the Jazz Fest, plus the county and other corporate sponsors have been their major financial supporters.

“The city provides law enforcement and sanitation, but it comes at a cost,” said Liedka. “They [Jazz Fest organizers] pay for that. It’s not free. As far as stage construction and things of that nature, that’s all on Jazz Fest to make that happen.”

Speaking of stage construction, not only money but a lot of physical labor is required from the crew. Here is how Jeremy Burton described his past 24 hours as a construction worker.

“Yesterday, we built the roof that’s here, the blue and all the trusses. And then we put the decks on the stage today,” said Burton. “We’re doing all the hanging, all the lights and doing the banners. And then after that, we have to do barricades. So, we put up barricades so people can’t get over to the stage.”

After all this hard work from hundreds of people, it is time to officially enjoy the festival!

Syracuse Jazz Fest will run from Wednesday, June 21, to Sunday, June 25, with performances at multiple venues, including headliners Herbie Hancock (Friday, June 23) and Gladys Knight (Saturday, June 24) on the Amazon Stage at Clinton Square. Other performers include Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Tower of Power, and Spyro Gyra, plus a slew of local artists throughout the week.

To find out more information about the Jazz Fest, go to www.syracusejazzfest.com .

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