The 26th annual Michigan JazzFest will be a week-long interactive online experience held from the 13th to the 20th of September. It will be conducted in tandem with Michigan BluesFest. Although there will be no public street performances, programming will be expanded with live streaming from sound stages in Old Town, Lansing plus live performances from across the US, Europe and South America. JazzFest 2020 will also feature newly recorded live performances, video highlights from last 20+ years, music workshops, KidzBeat activities, ability to virtually meet with musicians and much more. “Our festival’s team felt that it is in the best interests of fans, volunteers and musicians to host virtual concerts this year”, said Marcus Sigh, MICA’s new Operations Manager. Schedule, musicians, how to participate, registration, and sponsor opportunities will be announced soon at micharts.org.

September 13-20

ABOUT 

Lansing JazzFest began in 1995 when the Old Town Business & Art Development Association (OTBADA), having successfully produced OctoberFest the year prior, discovered that music festivals are an excellent way to encourage people to visit and enjoy Old Town.

Lansing’s jazz radio station, 89.7 WLNZ, signed on as a founding media sponsor, and MessageMakers became the festival’s founding business sponsor that same year.

In its early days, local musicians donated their time to play at JazzFest, and volunteers from the neighborhood and the local community pitched in to see that the roughly 2,000 people in attendance had a good time.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

• 2012 Michigan Festivals and Events Association (MFEA) MichiganFun Awards - Event Photograph Collage - 1st Place & "Best of the Best" (photos of festival performers)

• 2012 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Social Media Marketing – 1st Place

• 2008 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – T-Shirt Design – 2nd Place

• 2008 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Printed Promotional Material, Multi-Page – 2nd Place (City Pulse insert)

• ​2007 Ava Awards Honorable Mention for JazzFest 2007 PSA

• 2007 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Promotional Item – 1st Place (complimentary tickets)

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Press Release – 1st Place

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Promotional Item – 1st Place (JazzFest tent cards) & 3rd Place (JazzFest/BluesFest fans)

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – TV Ad – 1st Place

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – T-Shirt Design – 2nd Place

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Printed Material – 2nd Place (JazzFest complimentary and sponsor tickets) and Honorable Mention (JazzFest postcards)

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Website – 3rd Place

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Brochure – Honorable Mention

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Event Photograph – Honorable Mention (“Electric Guitar”)

• 2005 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Promotional Poster – Honorable Mention

• 2003 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Best Overall Achievement

• 2003 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Best T-Shirt Design

• 2003 MFEA MichiganFun Awards – Multimedia Website Design

• 2003 American Advertising Federation Silver Addy Award, Visual and Audio Elements of Advertising, Illustration: Single – 2002 illustration

• 2002 American Advertising Federation Addy Award, Visual and Audio Elements of Advertising, Illustration: Flat or Dimensional – 2001 illustration

• 2002 American Advertising Federation Citation of Excellence, Collateral Material, Poster: Single – 2001 poster