The Lansing JazzFest does more than shine a spotlight on the musical acts that are performing there; it spotlights Lansing’s Old Town and the community that it calls home, as well.
“We started the JazzFest to help put (Old Town) on the map,” said Terry Terry, president of the Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art, which produces the event. “It enables us to showcase all the cool buildings and the neat shops. It’s a great boom for the businesses here.”
The event began in 1995 and typically brings 3,000-5,000 people to Old Town to experience a community that might have gone unnoticed otherwise, Executive Director of the Old Town Commercial Association Louise Gradwohl said.
“It brings so many people who may never have known about our little neighborhood … it’s exciting,” Gradwohl said. “Part of our programming is through promotions and using festivals as a catalyst to drive traffic from Greater Lansing (to Old Town) and to help them realize Old Town is a destination.”
Terry hopes the unique features and opportunities will help draw people in to the Lansing JazzFest.
“We ask every band that performs to do something original, so what (attendees) hear, they’re hearing for the first time,” Terry said. “Friday and Saturday, we also have jam-oriented events where people can bring their own instruments and play with them.”
Another unique aspect of the festival is the free swing dancing lessons the State Swing Society, an MSU student organization, will be offering audiences at the festival.
“This is such a big audience; it’s exciting,” Society President Jessica Mizzi said. “We usually have a laptop and play a song on iTunes (to dance to), but we’re going to work with the live bands and make it more like you’re dancing.”
For the State Swing Society, the Lansing JazzFest is a new venue for the club to showcase its talents and spread the word about the club.
“We have a big presence at MSU, and we’d like to attract more people from outside the MSU community,” Society Treasurer Scott Rice said. “I’m excited to be dancing to live music in Lansing … I’ve never seen the Lansing JazzFest before.”
The festival, which starts Friday at 4:30 p.m. and ends Saturday at 12:30 a.m., is also a way for students to branch out into otherwise uncharted parts of the community.
“If MSU students don’t come to Old Town, they’re missing one of the hidden treasures of the capital city area,” Terry said. “They should come to get the whole experience … and once they do, they’ll want to come back and bring friends.”
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