Ballard Jazz Festival

Started in 2003 to highlight the thriving neighborhood of old town Ballard and Seattle's world-class jazz musicians, the Ballard Jazz Festival quickly grew into an internationally recognized festival featured worldwide in print and web publications. Our program for this season promises to continue on that path with more music than ever as we further our relationship with many of Ballard's iconic institutions.

For a week in May, all eyes and ears will focus on Ballard. Through attention from regional jazz radio and features in local print and TV media, it is the community of Ballard that shines by their support of the festival as it benefits from over 2000 attendees arriving for dining, shopping, music and mingling, along with ever-increasing numbers of out-of-state tourists who have made the Festival a destination event. In addition to all of the auxiliary spending by our attendees, 85% of festival revenue is pumped directly back into the local economy.

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Started in 2003 to highlight the thriving neighborhood of old town Ballard and Seattle's world-class jazz musicians, the Ballard Jazz Festival quickly grew into an internationally recognized festival featured worldwide in print and web publications. Our program for this season promises to continue on that path with more music than ever as we further our relationship with many of Ballard's iconic institutions.

For a week in May, all eyes and ears will focus on Ballard. Through attention from regional jazz radio and features in local print and TV media, it is the community of Ballard that shines by their support of the festival as it benefits from over 2000 attendees arriving for dining, shopping, music and mingling, along with ever-increasing numbers of out-of-state tourists who have made the Festival a destination event. In addition to all of the auxiliary spending by our attendees, 85% of festival revenue is pumped directly back into the local economy.

With the support of our business and civic partners, we expanded from 2003’s single night Jazz Walk with six clubs, to four days of music involving 100+ performers, 15 performance venues, concerts, educational events, and more. That many of our sponsors have been on board since the beginning is extremely gratifying, and together, we have created a unique and exciting event that the community can take great pride in.

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