 |
| Newmarket Jazz+ Festival arrives on Main St |
With summer season winding down, I thought it a good time to reflect on the summer festival season, and if you didn't get out to see someone like
Glenn Marais at a Music in The Park, or particularly to the
Newmarket Jazz + Festival, which celebrated this year by expanding, adding the larger
Ray Twinney Complex into the mix, while still holding some presence at
Riverwalk Commons and on
Main St on the Saturday of the long weekend event, then you're missing out. Kudos to the Newmarket Jazz+ Festival team for branding the location changes to ensure minimal confusion.
Added Location - Ray Twinney Centre, 100 Eagle St W
From my understanding,
Colin James did indeed rock the place up at
Ray Twinney Arena, as well as
George Oliver,
Brass Transit,
George St Kitts and others, while outdoors, at the same locale, featured live entertainment for all ages across a number of genres. I caught a bit of the
Mad Hatter kiddy's act doing various rock icon voices, and later
Rob Tardik performed, and although it rained a bit through that, It was a blast! and i got to know the 88.5 girls better while winning a mug since I knew
Garry Gamble was one of their hosts, as I used to read a blurb on 88.5 with Coverstory!
I had limited time to attend this year, but had a good time when I did and had also volunteered to help set up Main St. for the Saturday which included live street entertainment, vendors, games, and activities for the kids, as well as street-eats. Meantime the morning Sat Main St portion of the event also allowed for farmers market attendees to wander up should they wish after 9am, making for a festive atmosphere with the various patios and street grills set up and ready to roll.
After intros, the volunteers set the tents up and put the chairs out whilst directing vendors to their spots, blocking off the road and setting up booths and activities for their own businesses and associations - all with a 7am call. Lol. Well as close as one gets with that on volunteer gigs. At any rate, the half dozen or so die-hards got it done while others took their shifts as they showed up, a true team effort, as not all could stay - myself booked out for 2:30 pm.
One thing missing, however, was
more music elements, especially with the feature entertainers not coming on until noon. And perhaps we could allow for more vendors to fill some areas and add a few more interactive activities for the kids - something we helpers all agreed to try and achieve for next year.
 |
| Entertainer would draw seated customers |
The vibe and set up all in all was good, but a few key spots for busker type street musicians and adding some live entertainment in some establishments - such as
Hesed Cafe which sports a piano, and
Books N Things Cafe which already hosts
Open Stage's as does
Cover Notes, are great spots for solo type acoustical acts, not to mention the various bar patios which would really give it a more authentic festival vibe I think. As I understand, one bar or two may have been included in 2016 which is a great start! It just needs be out there more and
have several locations with the various
pub and cafe dates featured on the schedules.
So
more inclusion of those restaurants & cafes, beyond the Saturday, intertwined as part of the festival, is what is needed.
In 2015, the Jazz+ Sunday had live entertainment at River Walk but if you walked up to Main St. you'd never know it was part of it. Patios sat fairly empty at times, no street players, no patio jams, no visible connection to the
Newmarket Jazz + Festival -
but I'd like to change that with more, advertised, feature performers, hosted at various Main St locations throughout the fest, thereby drawing more customers - and more late night goers - onto main during the festival to spend some disposable income there as well. Why not end the night rocking on at a place doing live on Main? And with
patios also being
more accessible to wheelchair users.
In fact, that is something I not only noted in 2014, but acted on in 2015,
adding a keyboardist entertainer and singer to play on the Main Street, who added a vibe and reason to come down to
the the most south extension of Main with less restaurants to keep
it in the loop when the street is not closed off. This I plan more of, for atmosphere during street events.
I've now discussed this and other ideas with not only some members of the
B.I.A., but also with other concerned store owners and everyone seems pretty upbeat about the idea of having more Main St participation during the fest, and other attracting events, and I look forward to communicating with event organizers like
George St Kitts who I worked the same bill with for a
United Way campaign some years ago and now from p
romoting the festival, which I've done plenty of in the past, so I'm pretty sure we can get er done! Stay tuned.
 |
| You hope to capture some farmers market attendees with day-of discount coupons - good only on the day |
 |
| @Main St during Newmarket Jazz+ Festival |
 |
| Check one! |
 |
| Grilled soup!? Real rock stars drink soup! |
 |
| Rob Tardik |
 |
| New Ray Twinney Centre outdoor location |
Tom Bits: Mixed review on the new location grounds at Ray Twinney Complex but more potential. Food areas need be made more accessible. Meantime if you missed the festival, a friend of mine has just opened Niagara Fall's only authentic Jazz Bar at a famous location on Bridge St called....what else? Harry's Jazz Bar!!
Watch for Beatle MAIN ia too...
TP out!
I had limited time to attend this year, but had a good time when I did and had also volunteered to help set up Main St. for the Saturday which included live street entertainment, vendors, games, and activities for the kids, as well as street-eats. Meantime the morning Sat Main St portion of the event also allowed for farmers market attendees to wander up should they wish after 9am, making for a festive atmosphere with the various patios and street grills set up and ready to roll.
After intros, the volunteers set the tents up and put the chairs out whilst directing vendors to their spots, blocking off the road and setting up booths and activities for their own businesses and associations - all with a 7am call. Lol. Well as close as one gets with that on volunteer gigs. At any rate, the half dozen or so die-hards got it done while others took their shifts as they showed up, a true team effort, as not all could stay - myself booked out for 2:30 pm.
So more inclusion of those restaurants & cafes, beyond the Saturday, intertwined as part of the festival, is what is needed. In 2015, the Jazz+ Sunday had live entertainment at River Walk but if you walked up to Main St. you'd never know it was part of it. Patios sat fairly empty at times, no street players, no patio jams, no visible connection to the Newmarket Jazz + Festival - but I'd like to change that with more, advertised, feature performers, hosted at various Main St locations throughout the fest, thereby drawing more customers - and more late night goers - onto main during the festival to spend some disposable income there as well. Why not end the night rocking on at a place doing live on Main? And with patios also being more accessible to wheelchair users.
