The Wooster Arts Jazz Festival will be taking place downtown this Sunday.† For six years, the event has featured art, activities for children, gourmet food and live bands from the Ohio area.
The Jazz Fest is presented by the Main Street Wooster Foundation, Inc, Wooster City School, and the Rotary Club of Wooster in order to attract locals and visitors to the downtown area.† Celebrated annually, the festival is put together by volunteers and funded by donations.† The event represents local effort by almost the entire community.
The traditional New Orleans-style parade will begin at 1:45 p.m. at the Gazebo.† Leading the parade will be the River City Jazz Band.† Hailing from Cleveland, the band is lead by Bill Parthe.† The band normally performs in Ohio venues such as the Catawba Island Club, Sea World and the Avenue at Clevelandís Tower City.† The groupís repertoire includes the music of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver.
Live performances will also include the Fat Tuesday Big Band. Also from Cleveland, the Northeast Ohio big band is lead by acclaimed jazz musician Ernie Krivda, who recently released a solo album in 2008, ìNovember Man,” through CIMP Records.† The Fat Tuesday Band is modeled nostalgically after 1940ís swing music.† In its over 13 year history, however, it has proved itself more than experienced in entertaining modern audiences with its energetic performances.
The Canton Cabaret Jazz Combo is a quintet especially chosen from the Canton Cabaret Orchestra.† Part of the professional pit orchestra in residence of the Canton Cabaret Dinner Theater, the group of musicians has worked together within the Akron-Canton area for many years.† The musicians playing will be John Chambers on bass, Larry Pindel on piano, Bob Hill on trumpet and David Kolinski-Schultz leading on saxophone.
If attending musical performances, it is advised that guests bring folding chairs.
Each year, crafts and visual art are juried and put on sale.† Two thousand dollars in award money is offered to artists.† Last yearís winners include Katie Balas, a Wooster local for Best in Show, working in the medium of acrylic, and Lahoma Clearwater from Akron for Best Booth.
Hungry students eager to sample local cuisine will also be pleased to know that food will be provided by the well-known Broken Rocks CafÈ, Buehlerís Catering, South Market Bistro, the Wooster Inn Pub, Sue-Minís Chinese Gourmet, and Omahoma Bobís BBQ.
Sundayís event also includes the Kids Corner, an arts and crafts site set up for children. Among other activities, young festival-goers will have the chance to tie-dye clothes, use sidewalk chalk, make rain sticks, and have their faces painted by volunteers from the Wooster City Schools Art Club and the Wooster Rotary Club.† Caricatures from artist Scott Hall of Scott Hall Arts will also be available.
The event is scheduled for September 20, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the intersection of Liberty and Market Street.† Admission is free.