Support the 2025 Stowe Jazz Festival

Hi there!

So many of you seeing this fundraiser have donated in the past years - and we at SJF hope that you can continue your generosity for our 2025 Stowe Jazz Festival.

We are changing quite a bit this coming year to ensure a better Festival every year - we learn and we improve every year...but a couple of things will never change...the SJF is still focused on our Mission and Vision to sustain a Jazz festival that is always 100% Jazz...and always 100% free to the audience. This is, as you can imagine a huge challenge...and that is of course why we have this gofundme drive...your help and support are CRUCIAL to our efforts - never doubt it...

Those of you that have attended over the years - and this will be year 7 of performances - know why we do this. It's really all about community.

Keeping our 30+ performances free helps glue us all together in a time of so much division...music brings people together regardless of politics, gender, religion, race, or the size of their bank accounts.....and our 'free' concerts allow families to gather and hear music that they would never get to experience here in Northern Vermont - and a level that is absolutely world class. I mean really...when you attend those 'other' so-called 'jazz' festivals, do you see a lot of youngsters hanging out and listening with their families? Nope. It's just too expensive. The huge cost to attend means that the younger set doesn't have the opportunity to hear Jazz and be exposed to this incredible music...with their families. We firmly believe that music - that Jazz - has no VIPs in the audience - that we are all equally qualified and invited to enjoy this music...together.

Last year we attracted well over 3000 people to the SJF...and in fact we have grown to the point where we need to move our MainStage from the Alchemist property to the Stowe Events Field. Jen and John and the entire staff at the Alchemist have been the kindest, most understanding and wonderful allies we have had - since day one. You've no idea what that has meant to us...to me personally. They believed in us from the very first meeting. It has allowed us to solidify our event and have a 'home' at which to present Jazz...but it's just too big now...so we all met and agreed to move the SJF to a larger space next year...big enough to grow again...so that we can expand the understanding of how we ALL must - and can - work together, when we are all working for something worthwhile...

Last year the gofundme raised almost $26k. YOU DID THIS. All of the funds went to SJF operations...to tent and sound and lighting rentals...to Artist fees...to lodging for over 120 musicians...to food for our musicians and to such administrative costs as insurance, promotion, office rent and the internet...it's a long list!

Our budget this coming year is roughly $200k. It pays for three days of Grammy winning jazz musicians and their colleagues...at 9 Stowe venues...

All 100% free...

So please...donate as much as you possibly can to help us continue to make our festival YOUR festival...

Final dates and Artists to be announced - as usual - when all that is settled...but for now, it's time for us to start our fundraising drive to pay deposits and plan for our 2025 SJF!

Sincere thanks to all...and remember - we are a 501c(3) non profit. We don't do this for the money... ;)

George Walker Petit

SJF Founder and Executive Director

...and the Board and Volunteers that make this happen!