Dayton Jazz Festival canceled again

The Dayton Jazz Festival scheduled for Sunday at Levitt Pavilion has been canceled.

City of Dayton officials said they, alongside the Department of Recreation, only have the capacity to present three summer music events. They made the choice to move forward with other events that attract bigger audiences, according to city officials.

The Jazz Festival is one in a series of music festivals held at Levitt Pavilion in downtown Dayton. The Dayton Blues Festival is planned for July 23, the Dayton Funk Festival will be held Aug. 13 and the Dayton Reggae Festival is slated Sept. 3.

“The most recent Jazz Festival the City presented did not generate enough funds to make it cost-effective,” said Bryan Taulbee, public affairs specialist with the city of Dayton. “The other three (Blues, Funk, Reggae) are definitely on this year’s schedule.”

The Jazz Festival was canceled by the city in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and again in 2022 citing inclement weather.

The city also acknowledged and shared appreciation for Levitt Pavilion’s Eichelberger Concert Series, which includes jazz performances and other concerts similar to the series presented by the city of Dayton.

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