Hartford Festival of Jazz brings crowds to downtown Hartford

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – Thousands of people packed Bushnell Park for the 33 ^rd Annual Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz Saturday.

Jazz fans from all over the state came out to hear musicians from around the world play. 18 bands were scheduled to take the stage, including a Marvin Gaye tribute show by Elan Trotman featuring Larry Braggs.

“I love to hear the saxophone, I love live music,” said Jasmine Aiken of New Britain. “I enjoy the singing, the keyboardist, just the environment in general.”

The Greater Hartford Arts Council hosted the event. They said it is the largest free jazz festival in New England, bringing more than 150-thousand people to the city over its three-day run. Between local vendors and food, arts council chief executive officer Dr. Shelley Best estimates millions of dollars go back to the local economy.

“It’s a great vibe. You don’t meet angry jazz people. Everyone is just happy and glad to be together,” she said. “This is the heart of why we really invest in the arts because when it comes to bringing people into the community. 100,000 people, for every person that shows up to an event like this, they’re going to spend $30 dollars and leaving it in the community. That’s a bloom of $3 million here in Hartford for this weekend.”

The rain came down just before 6pm but that didn’t end the evening. The bands kept playing and people hunkered down with umbrellas and tents, staying for the rest of the night.

“[My cousin] was the one that told us it was going to rain so they went back to the car and got the tent,” said Kaylee Malcom-Jordan from Stratford. “We were still having fun, the music is still playing.”

Rain or shine, the jazz continued, marking a pleasant night in the capital city.

“We love doing this every year, we look forward to it every year,” she said. “It feels very signature to the summer in Hartford, Connecticut for sure.”

Organizers said the forecast on Sunday is expected to be clear so those who went home because of the rain are encouraged to come back for the festival’s final day.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.