I noticed in a recent Dispatch article that the Jazz and Ribs Festival will be moving next year due to the Scioto Mile construction. I attended this year’s Arts Fest in the Discovery District around CCAD, and loved having a festival away from the Riverfront. Personally, I’ve felt that the Riverfront feels a little sterile and stale for downtown festivals. It’s a great backdrop with the skyline, but the river is unusable and is pretty much dead space. The buildings along the riverfront are all closed government and office spaces. There’s no real sense of neighborhood to this location. I’m sure it will be beautiful after the Scioto Mile project is complete, but until then, can I make an open suggestion?
I’d love to see the 2009 Jazz and Ribs Festival happen in my neighborhood… the King Lincoln District, just east of downtown and north of Olde Towne East. This up and coming neighborhood is rich with jazz culture and history. The legendary Lincoln Theater, which hosted many jazz legends through the past century is under renovation and scheduled for a spring 2009 grand re-opening. A block north is the King Arts Complex, another community beacon of the arts and jazz culture and heritage in Columbus. Next door sits the beautiful Mayme Moore Park, which has a small gazebo where live music is featured throughout the summer.
This past weekend the Unity Day Festival was held in this neighborhood after a 10 year hiatus. Part of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive was closed down to vehicular traffic and vendors lined the streets to sell food. This festival was much smaller than the Jazz & Ribs festival, but I feel that this could be the perfect spot for it as well.
Let’s spread the festivals around. Keep Red White and Boom on the Riverfront, and move the rest to the areas where they are more appropriate.
I think that would be the perfect location as well! I’ve just started reading your blog and I love it! Thanks for writing!
Here Here, I’ve been saying the same thing for a while now. In fact I had some exchanges with the city a year and a half ago about shifting the location of these festivals. If they ever clean up the Scioto and remove a couple of those lowhead dams so you can paddle to “the mile” then it would be awesome to have an honest to goodness river fest. The other festivals should be moved to more appropriate locations though, where they would be welcome and would help to generate some economic development. King Lincoln would be a great center piece for Jazz/Ribs fest, perhaps a Samali related festival North East, perhaps the festival Latino somewhere more appropriate or something. Not in an attempt to segregate but to celebrate diversity, etc. and show off the lesser known neighborhoods.
Hasn’t the mexican/latino population been growing in the Hilltop area lately? Seems like there are a lot of latino-owned businesses opening over there. Could be a great spot for Latino festival in an emerging area. I agree that economic development could play a bit part in moving these festivals. I’d just love to see them have more of a “neighborhood party” feel.