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Colorado Springs Jazz Festival Brings Free Fourth Of July Festival To Memorial Park
The 2nd Annual colorado Springs Jazz Festival has a new home at Memorial Park, downtown Colorado Springs, for its free all-day jazz and blues concerts on July 4, 2003, featuring national headliners Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (jazz) and Otis Taylor (blues).
As an addition to headliner BBVD, Denver's Jumpin Jive Cats swing dancers will perform onstage with the band. Local and regional bands complete the lineup.
The daylong celebration of music, art and community will begin at 11 a.m. and end with a spectacular fireworks display at 10 p.m. Among the highlights are a children's activity area, a juried fine arts show and sale sponsored by the Pikes Peak Arts Council, and a display of the September 11 quilt project, an American flag that incorporates nearly 10,000 panels from all over the country and the world.
"This will probably be the best celebration at Memorial Park our city has ever seen," Mayor Lionel Rivera was quoted in a May 16 article in the Colorado Springs Gazette. The City of Colorado Springs is helping to sponsor the event and several nonprofit organizations, including Junior Achievement and Resources for Young Children and Families, will benefit.
This year, music begins at 11 a.m. at the Rosebowl area of the park, at Hancock and Pikes Peak, with five local jazz and blues bands, and Colorado Ambassadors gospel group from Greenwood Village, and the two national headlining acts. Following a 30-year tradition in the Springs, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic will play the "1812 Overture" just before a spectacular '18-minute pyrotechnics and fireworks display.
An addition this year will be a carnival in the park for a small charge. Vendors will have plenty of barbecue, ice cream and other festival favorites, and soft drinks and beer will be sold as well. Coolers and pets are not allowed. Parking is free.
Craft and novelty vendors will sell merchandise and musical artists will be selling their CDs.
We are very excited about bringing our festival to downtown Colorado Springs this year and we're looking forward to providing a day of top-notch talent for free to the community," said event producer Rob Isacoff. We'll have a great fireworks show, too, so come early, bring a blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy a wonderful holiday."
Isacoff and partner Joe Tomaselli thanked city officials for the opportunity to use Memorial Park for the festival, which the city estimates draws 80,000 people each year. Security measures will be in place throughout the festival ground, Isacoff and Tomaselli said.
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