Spring Break
Denton festival returns
Lauren Hill
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
With the promise of tasty food, interesting works of art and more than 2,200 musicians, the 28th annual Denton Arts and Jazz Festival is back for the masses to enjoy.
The two-and-a-half day event, starting today and ending Sunday, encourages audiences to bring their blankets and chairs to the festival, where six stages of fine art, diverse music, food courts and various games will be plentiful, according to the event's Web site.
Headliners will be the Neville Brothers on Friday, Delbert McClinton on Saturday and Brave Combo on Sunday, all performing on the jazz stage.
The event provides activities for children 12 and under at the Children's Art Tent, where they will be able to sculpt, draw and paint their way through the day, creating their own works of art.
NT alumni Dean Strickland will be performing at the festival for the first time. With an original set of music and a new CD, the entertainer said he is looking forward to the event and its promising experience.
"I am really looking forward to being there for the first time," Strickland said.
He will be performing at 11 a.m. Saturday on the Roving River Stage.
The Arts and Jazz Festival is produced by the Denton Festival Foundation, which originally organized the Spring Fling in Denton in 1980. In 1990, the Spring Fling and the Denton JazzFest merged together to create what is now the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival.
"I heard about the event through some friends, and I also saw a Facebook flyer for it online," said Ashley Woeber, a Fort Worth freshman and first time attendee. "I've heard it was really fun and that a lot of people are going to be there."
The event not only showcases professional musicians and art, but also caters to NT musicians, specifically with a jazz emphasis, to give the local talent a chance in the spotlight.
"I'm really interested in hearing lots of jazz with a big band sound," Woeber said. "I really want to hear a variety of different things."
The festivities will be free for audiences and held 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Denton Quakertown Park. For more information about the festival, call 940-565-0931 or visit www.dentonjazzfest.com.
The two-and-a-half day event, starting today and ending Sunday, encourages audiences to bring their blankets and chairs to the festival, where six stages of fine art, diverse music, food courts and various games will be plentiful, according to the event's Web site.
Headliners will be the Neville Brothers on Friday, Delbert McClinton on Saturday and Brave Combo on Sunday, all performing on the jazz stage.
The event provides activities for children 12 and under at the Children's Art Tent, where they will be able to sculpt, draw and paint their way through the day, creating their own works of art.
NT alumni Dean Strickland will be performing at the festival for the first time. With an original set of music and a new CD, the entertainer said he is looking forward to the event and its promising experience.
"I am really looking forward to being there for the first time," Strickland said.
He will be performing at 11 a.m. Saturday on the Roving River Stage.
The Arts and Jazz Festival is produced by the Denton Festival Foundation, which originally organized the Spring Fling in Denton in 1980. In 1990, the Spring Fling and the Denton JazzFest merged together to create what is now the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival.
"I heard about the event through some friends, and I also saw a Facebook flyer for it online," said Ashley Woeber, a Fort Worth freshman and first time attendee. "I've heard it was really fun and that a lot of people are going to be there."
The event not only showcases professional musicians and art, but also caters to NT musicians, specifically with a jazz emphasis, to give the local talent a chance in the spotlight.
"I'm really interested in hearing lots of jazz with a big band sound," Woeber said. "I really want to hear a variety of different things."
The festivities will be free for audiences and held 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Denton Quakertown Park. For more information about the festival, call 940-565-0931 or visit www.dentonjazzfest.com.
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