[Dixielandjazz] Jazz In The Olympics Festival may cease

[Stephen G Barbone]

Sad news from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, USA.

Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband




Port Angeles Dixieland jazz festival future clouded


Peninsula Daily News


PORT ANGELES -- The Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce board  
has voted to no longer run the annual Jazz in the Olympics Festival.

Unless another organization takes over sponsorship, the 2011 event  
will be canceled.

The chamber has run the festival for three years after taking over  
from a private Jazz in the Olympics committee, which had run it  
previously.

This year's event in April was the 11th for the festival, and like  
last year and the year before saw a decline in attendance and  
sponsorships, said Russ Veenema, chamber executive director, in an  
announcement at today's chamber membership luncheon at the Port  
Angeles CrabHouse Restaurant.

"We had between an 8 and 10 percent decline in attendance," he said,  
"and there are things that are out of our control.

"We have to pay for the bands and their lodging and travel, and those  
costs could skyrocket.

"If that were to happen and still did not have the attendance to make  
up for it, we could be in the red very fast. We are not in a position  
that we can financially do that."

If another group wanted to take over the festival, Veenema said the  
chamber would assist by giving advice and information.

"But we simply cannot help financially," he said.

He said the 2010 festival did make a little money -- a couple thousand  
dollars -- but only because the decline in attendance and sponsorships  
was planned for.

Last modified: May 17. 2010 1:42PM