17th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival

I am pleased to announce the 17th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival (Jazz Festival) and invite you to become an event sponsor. This annual event will be held on Saturday, July 28th and Sunday, July 29th on Central Avenue at 42nd Street in South Los Angeles in front of the historic Dunbar Hotel. The Dunbar Hotel plays a large role in African-American history in Los Angeles as it is where jazz greats like John Coltrane and Billie Holiday stayed when visiting the City of Angeles.

The Jazz Festival is a unique cultural event that pays tribute to the significant contributions that African Americans made on Central Avenue. Central Avenue was the birthplace of west coast jazz and was nationally recognized as a jazz hot spot from the 1920s to the 1950s. The Jazz Festival is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of jazz and African American Heritage. This weekend long event is free and open to the public, and will feature live music, craft and food booths, company-sponsored booths, and information government/non- profit booths. It promises to be an exciting weekend full of fun and community pride that I hope you will be a part of.

Each year, the number of festival attendees grows. Last year, approximately 35,000 people attended, making the Jazz Festival a perfect opportunity for your company to advertise to a diverse market group, celebrate diversity, promote African American history and be part of one the biggest events in the City.

We recognize that our partners play an important role in helping make this event possible. In order to support this year’s festival, I would like to ask you to participate as a sponsor. Please see the attached sponsorship form for more details. This year your participation is more important than ever with budget cuts at every level of government and the elimination of the Community Redevelopment Agency, who was a key event sponsor; private donations are necessary to ensure this event continues so please consider becoming a festival sponsor.

If you have any questions, please contact Marie Rumsey at (213) 473-2309 or by e-mail at Marie.Rumsey@lacity.org for further information. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to speaking with you about your involvement and support for the 17th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival!

Sincerely,

Jan Perry
Council District 9