{"id":9200,"date":"2020-04-14T01:58:49","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T01:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillejazzfest.com\/?p=9200"},"modified":"2021-07-20T02:24:58","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T02:24:58","slug":"city-cancels-2020-jazz-festival-postpones-the-event-until-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillejazzfest.com\/_ARC\/2020\/04\/city-cancels-2020-jazz-festival-postpones-the-event-until-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"City cancels 2020 Jazz Festival, postpones the event until 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The City of Jacksonville announced today the 2020 Jacksonville Jazz Festival has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

The City\u2019s Office of Sports and Entertainment made the announcement, citing public health concerns in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The event has been postponed until May 2021, according to Nikki Kimbleton, director of public affairs for the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe City of Jacksonville is committed to the health and safety of the community, and we urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials,\u201d according to a statement from the city.<\/p>\n

All VIP ticketholders will have their tickets refunded to their original method of payment within two weeks, according to the release. The city sold 400 3-day passes, according to Kimbleton.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jacksonville Jazz Festival has celebrated musical icons, showcased our vibrant culture and our diverse community for over 39 years. The decision to cancel was done in the best interest of public safety for spectators, performers and our staff,\u201d said Ryan Ali, chief of sports and entertainment for the city in an email. \u201cWe are thankful for our VIP patrons who continue to support the festival along with our partners and sponsors. We look forward to celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival during Memorial Day weekend 2021.\u201d<\/p>\n

The annual event has become one of Jacksonville\u2019s premier affairs. The 2020 festival would have marked the 40th anniversary, although the Jazz Festival has grown exponentially since former Mayor Jake Godbold helped found it. In 2018, the Festival drew 31,500 unique visitors and had an economic impact of nearly $10 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jazz Fest is a fantastic event every year. The city does an incredible job \u2013 the majority of it [the Festival] is free \u2013 so it\u2019s really an unbelievable event for a lot of people,\u201d said Jake Gordon, CEO of Downtown Vision Inc. \u201cObviously, were disappointed for downtown Jacksonville \u2013 to not have it this year is definitely sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gordon added that getting large crowds of people together \u2013 even in a month or two \u2013 probably wouldn\u2019t be the best idea given the current circumstances. Michael Corrigan, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSafety of our visitors is always Visit Jacksonville\u2019s number one priority,\u201d Corrigan said in an email. \u201cWe are sd to miss this year\u2019s Jacksonville Jazz Festival, but we know it will be back bigger and better than ever in 2021.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the Bread & Board, which signed a 5-year contract to cater the Festival\u2019s VIP offering, the cancellation means a significant loss of revenue. However, co-owner Dwayne Beliakoff said he\u2019s glad to see the city is making public health and safety a priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than anything, it\u2019s safety first,\u201d Beliakoff said. \u201cThe sheer number of people that would be gathering at that point does not make a lot of sense to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Beliakoff added that Bread & Board is already looking forward to catering the event in 2021.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

SOURCE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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