The 11th Annual Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival
Esther Short Park, Downtown Vancouver, Washington

August 22nd, 23rd, & 24th, 2008

What Is The Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival?

What Is The Purpose Of The Festival?

Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival History

The First Annual Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival took place September 26-27, 1998 in downtown Vancouver.  After nearly a year of planning, the Festival premiered to a great weekend crowd.  By all measures, the Festival was an enormous success.  The 1998 Festival was held on the site of the former Lucky Lager Brewery in downtown Vancouver.  International jazz star and vocalist Dianne Schuur entertained the Saturday night audience.  21 wineries, 6 restaurants and fine artists participated in the premiere Festival.

Over 400 people volunteered for the 9th Annual Festival in August 2006.  The jazz lineup included Grammy winners and international jazz stars Dr. John, Spyro Gyra, Mavis Staples, Eddie Palmieri, Spanish Harlem Orchestra and James Cotton.  15 bands performed over the 3-day schedule.  More than 250 wines from 30 wineries were featured & 50 fine artists from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California displayed their fine art.  10 local restaurants cooked up great cuisine.

In just 9 years, the Festival has presented such internationally-acclaimed jazz artists as: Jean Luc Ponty, Bela Fleck, Stanley Clarke, Poncho Sanchez, Jose Feliciano, Los Lobos, The Four Freshmen, David Sanborn, Blood Sweat & Tears, Arturo Sandoval, Bo Diddley, The Temptations, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Blind Boys of Alabama, BeauSoleil, Chick Corea, Diane Schuur, Chuck Mangione, The 5th Dimension, The Louis Armstrong Society Jazz Band, Regina Carter, Booker T. Jones, Bobby Shew, Ernie Watts, Bud Shank, The Tonight Show All-Star Band, and more than 100 local and regional jazz bands.  Various nonprofit organizations have participated in the Festival to raise money or public awareness for their cause.  These have included the Washington State Ballet, Vancouver Fire Department, Clark County Humane Society, American Cancer Society, Jazz Society of Oregon, American Diabetes Association, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Identity Clark County and others.  The Festival is produced by Bravo! Vancouver, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization.  Bravo! produces the Festival and has presented more than 70 classical, jazz, sacred and pops concerts in Vancouver since 1993.

The City of Vancouver has been the municipal sponsor of the Festival since 1998.  Our 2006 Corporate Sponsors included: Wells Fargo, Comcast, US Bank, IQ Credit Union, Wild Oats, DEX Media, Tidewater Cove Condominiums, Vancouvercenter, Salpare Bay, Sagelands Vineyards, Vancouver Hilton, The Columbian, KATU Channel 2, 1190 KEX, AM 620, K105.9, K103 FM, and The Vancouver Business Journal. 

For More Information Contact:
Dr. Michael Kissinger, Artistic Director
Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival
PO Box 118, Vancouver, WA 98666-0118
(360) 906-0441
Fax: (360) 906-0605
E-mail: info@vancouverwinejazz.com
www.vancouverwinejazz.com
www.bravoconcerts.com

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