The Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society has announced the cancellation of the Sacramento Music Festival in a Facebook post. Previously known as the Old Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee, the festival had been held in Old Sacramento, California, each Memorial Day weekend since 1974.
The Sacramento Bee reports that “at its peak in the mid-1980s, the festival drew more than 85,000 people and included performers in Old Sacramento, Cal Expo, and other locations around the city. Festival attendance steadily declined since 2002, and the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society’s efforts to broaden the festival’s appeal and drum up community achieved mixed results.”
The announcement of the Sacramento Music Festival’s cancellation ends years of speculation about its economic viability amid falling turnout. In their statement, The Sacramento Jazz Society states that it will continue their work “in support of Jazz Camp and the many musicians that play, educate, and entertain,” and “will continue to provide future events for you to continue to enjoy the fun of Traditional Jazz, Swing, Blues, and Ragtime Music.”