The 47th National Jazz Festival is on in Tauranga this Easter weekend. The festival runs from the 9th-13th April 2009 and boasts an impressive line up of performances and events that will appeal to everyone from serious jazz buffs to families looking for a fun day out. 

The 47th National Jazz Festival is on in Tauranga this Easter weekend. The festival runs from the 9th-13th April 2009 and boasts an impressive line up of performances and events that will appeal to everyone from serious jazz buffs to families looking for a fun day out. 

The new TV3 Jazz Village, which is a re-creation of a New Orleans French Quarter at the Historic Village at 17th Ave, is expected to draw large crowds.  There will be over 20 bands performing on the four Jazz stages in the village on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Festival Director Arne Herrmann explains “There will also be jam sessions, tap-dancing buskers, food stalls, barbershop quartets and a Louisiana-style marching band so it really will be an exciting two days. We had family fun in mind when we planned this jazz village – I’m sure everyone will have a great time”.

The village will be open from 10am to 6pm on both days and entry is free for TECT card holders and children under 14 years with a paying adult. Adult tickets are $10.

The traditional Downtown Tauranga Carnival will take place around The Strand on Easter Saturday and Sunday from 12noon to 5pm. Crowds will be able to soak up the atmosphere as they wander between the jazz stages, and enjoy food and refreshments from the many bars and restaurants taking part. Along with a stage in Red Square and two stages on The Strand, this year sees the first ever Maori Jazz stage at the Aspen Reserve on McLean St (at the Dive Crescent end of The Strand). The Carnival entertainment is free to the public, and extra buses have been scheduled to make it easy for people to go between the Downtown Tauranga Carnival and the TV3 Jazz Village on Sunday.

Other highlights of the 2009 National Jazz Festival are the Sebel Trinity Wharf Jazz Riverboat that will take passengers on a gentle cruise of the Tauranga harbour while they enjoy the onboard jazz band, canapés and refreshments, and the historic City of Tauranga Jazz Steamtrain. The authentically restored steamtrain will take passengers on a 2 hour round trip from Mount Maunganui through the beautiful local countryside while being serenaded by a jazz quartet. Fine wines and refreshments are available onboard to complete this unique and memorable experience. The steamtrain will make three trips per day on Easter Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The festival offers plenty of other attractions including the Port of Tauranga Youth Jazz Competition and over 50 performances by celebrated jazz artists such as Grammy Award winners The Blind Boys of Alabama, Hollie Smith, Charmaine Ford, Phil Broadhurst’s Chick Corea Tribute Band, and the New Zealand School of Music Big Band under Rodger Fox.

Arne Herrmann highly recommends people join the estimated 30,000 other festival-goers who will be spending their Easter weekend enjoying the 2009 National Jazz Festival - “It’s going to be a fantastic event that you won’t want to miss!”