Denver Arts & Venues Celebrates 20 Years Of The Five Points Jazz Festival

In anticipation of International Jazz Day, April 30, Denver Arts & Venues is pleased to announce the performance lineup for the 2023 Five Points Jazz Festival, which returns to the neighborhood to celebrate the music, culture and roots of Denver's historic Five Points on Saturday, June 10 from noon to 8 p.m. This year marks 20 years since the first festival which was held in April 2004.

"Denver Arts & Venues has been bringing you the Five Points Jazz Festival since its inaugural year," explained Ginger White, Denver Arts & Venues executive director. "The first event was small, with three bands and a few hundred attendees. But, since that first day in the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library parking lot, we have seen the festival grow year after year, and we are so excited to celebrate 20 years with Denver residents and visitors!"

Each year, festival attendees enjoy a culturally diverse experience of music, food, shopping and entertainment, grooving to the sounds of Latin jazz, bop, swing, funk, blues and more throughout the day. The 2023 Five Points Jazz Festival will feature 40 bands playing live music on 10 stages and will start with a kickoff parade down Welton Street at noon.

The Five Points Jazz Festival is brought to you by Denver Arts & Venues, which uses revenue from events at City venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Denver Performing Arts Complex to make this cultural event and many others possible, improving access to art, music and culture for all.

While inclement weather at the first event in 2004 forced musicians and concertgoers inside, where library staff quickly moved to accommodate attendees and performers, the event was still a success. Denver Arts & Venues (then Denver Office of Cultural Affairs) led the charge to bring the festival back the following year. In 2005, there were both indoor and outdoor performances, as well as an expansion of the event to include more community groups and vendor activities. At the 2005 Five Points Jazz Festival, organizers also began to use the event as a platform to honor individuals who have been significant contributors to the Five Points community and the legacy of jazz in Denver and beyond.

From these humble beginnings, the annual free festival has grown into the enduring and hugely successful day-long event it is today. Even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, Arts & Venues kept the legacy of the festival alive, collaborating with Rocky Mountain PBS and KUVO to present a televised virtual event. This broadcast event garnered two Colorado Broadcasters Association awards and a Heartland Emmy nomination.

"Seeing Five Points Jazz Festival reach twenty years makes me proud to have played a role in supporting the treasured heritage and rich legacy of this community," said Donna Smith, who served as producer of the first event in 2004 as the performing arts and community programming coordinator at Denver Office of Cultural Affairs.

Denver Arts & Venues is also seeking volunteers to help bring the 2023 event to life. Volunteer shifts range from 3-5 hours and include sustainability ambassadors, event signage, stage/artist assistants, artist lounge ambassadors, waste station attendants, waste station sorting and office assistants. As a thank you for the dedication and enthusiasm that volunteers bring to the event, all volunteers get a festival volunteer tee-shirt and food and non-alcoholic beverages throughout their shift. Those interested can sign up online at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0944aba62aa4fdc16-volunteer#/.

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