SF Jazz and Blues Society: 2020 JazzFest canceled
Published: Dec. 6, 2019 at 5:19 PM CST
A nearly 30-year, summertime music event in Sioux Falls appears to be taking a break.
Tryg Fredrickson, executive director of the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society told KSFY News that the 2020 JazzFest has been canceled. Fredrickson said the cancelation is based on a number of factors and the move will allow the organization to focus on educational programming.
Fredrickson said Jazzfest needs to be "refreshed and retooled."
Last year, the event saw a drop in attendance.
For the last 28 years, the annual event has been held at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls.
In a press release to KSFY News, Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society board said the following:
"Live music performance has grown tremendously in Sioux Falls, and we are very proud to be a part of that. This growth, and other headwinds over the last few years including weather events, unforeseen artist cancellations, and increasing expenses cause us to pause and evaluate the model for the festival that we remain committed to in the future. With this, the Board of Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society will assess our organization and programming, including JazzFest, as we grow into 2021," said Beth Ormseth, President, Board of Directors, Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society.
"Education has been at the core of why we do what we do, and we're thankful that JazzFest, among other fundraising efforts, has afforded us the ability to provide our educational programming for the last 20 years. Festival revenues have declined, and that has been a catalyst for us to channel our mission toward all the other great things we do, including raising music appreciation and education for our youth and younger audiences," she said.
The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society not only plans to continue its growth in educational programming across the state, but also to expand to neighboring communities outside South Dakota who have supported the organization over the last two decades. "The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society is larger than one annual event, and we want to let our patrons know that we're carrying forward their love for jazz and blues to our younger audiences with full rigor. Our work is to expand the reach of our mission — especially to groups and communities that can benefit from it the most," said Ormseth."
