Finally!
After a year-long pandemic hiatus, Apopka kicked off its highly anticipated International Jazz Festival Saturday. An announced crowd of almost 1,800 spent the night dancing and singing to four musical acts, most of whom are Grammy-nominated jazz stars.
People came from all over the country to take a seat at the Apopka Amphitheater and had the chance to enjoy performances by artists Nestor Torres, Hiroshima, Jeffrey Osborne, and Dee Lucas with his special guest Lori Williams.
One jazz enthusiast, Jeff Lian, noted how Apopka offered something special for him and his wife.
“We’ve been to jazz festivals up and down the east and west coast, but this venue here is the nicest by far,” said Lian, a Florida native. “Festivals like these prove that jazz brings people together, no matter your race or where you’re from. Apopka has great people to do that for.”
Locals also note that this type of music event connects people of different age groups. The appeal of older jazz styles with family-friendly activities attracts a wide audience.
“Jazz really helps the older generations feel connected as a community,” said Lakeland resident Tiffany Valentine. “This music has such soothing melodies, but also good beats, so it appeals to me and my older family members likewise.”
The event also featured food trucks, charity booths, and local businesses selling handmade goods. Event coordinators said that having vendors not only provides people with new cuisines and products but also helps small businesses in a time of economic need. Wesley Roll, the owner of Wesley’s Tree of Life jewelry, said she gets the best of both worlds at the event.
“The festival helps business owners get their name out there, but also helps the community as a whole,” said Roll. “It’s especially great for me to be here because I like jazz music and how it can be understood as a universal language.”
ZnL Productions hosted the festival and plans to continue to make it an ever-growing annual event. The company’s co-organizers, Lori Burke and Zita Steglich-Ross, also wanted to use the festival as an opportunity to give back. Some of the proceeds will go to supporting local Boy Scouts Troop 211 and the No Child Hungry food program.
“Music brings people together and heals the soul,” said Burke. “In this event, we get to help out charities and enjoy good music as a community.”
Steglich-Ross was happy to help regional charities and co-produce the event. While looking back at all the work put into it, she is also looking forward to continuing this jazz legacy.
“The Apopka International Jazz Festival was a hit,” said Steglich-Ross. “I am so proud to call Apopka home. We are looking forward to doing it again, but with a few improvements.”
Another portion of the event proceeds will go to supporting the Wekiva High School band program. The band students haven’t had new uniforms in 14 years and have been facing funding issues for a while now. Wekiva High School band director Joshua Grossnicklaus told the festival crowd how much the money raised meant to him and his students.
“Hopefully, our local kids here in the Apopka area and Wekiva High School will be headlining this event someday,” said Grossnicklaus. “That’s my goal as a teacher and that couldn’t happen without wonderful people like you coming out and a wonderful community like this.”
After a record turnout and a successful show, organizers are excited to bring the jazz festival back to Apopka next year with an all new lineup. In the meantime, music lovers can expect a reappearance by Nestor Torres and other award-winning artists at the South Florida Smooth Jazz Festival on June 4th.
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