Ten bands play ten different venues in Basalt Saturday for the inaugural Pumpkin Jazz festival. The Arts Campus At Willits received a grant from Basalt to put on the event.
Executive director of The Arts Campus at Willits Ryan Honey says after the lease expired on their Willits venue, The Temporary, earlier this year, he was looking to bring people into local businesses during the offseason.
“We knew with us being closed and it being the shoulder season, we wanted a way to activate the restaurants and the shops in and around our community,” he said.
A recent study shows that arts patrons nationally spend an average of about 25 dollars per event at local businesses, not including the ticket price.
The Arts Campus at Willits artistic director Mark Breslin brought local and regional musicians to play the festival, which takes place at restaurants and galleries throughout both Willits and downtown Basalt.
Breslin says that the music will be as varied as the venues.
"We have gypsy jazz, we have a saxophone trio, we have Valle Musico, which will be world music, so a little bit of everything," he said.
Pumpkin Jazz begins Saturday at 5 p.m. A family-friendly performance from the Annie Booth Trio will be held at the library at 3:30 p.m.
