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| Halifax Jazz and Blues Festival It may be a month later than it has been in the past, but the Halifax Jazz and Blues Festival kicked off Friday evening and continues tonight from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The fifth annual festival is like last year's event being held in July. Patricia Hines, president of the Triangle Center for Development, said that it was pushed back this year because festival organizers were unable to secure any funding from the city, and instead, the organization sought funds from elsewhere. While the city did not provide any direct contribution, street closures and other services have been provided. Hines credited CrossRoads Ford with an extremely generous donation along with several other businesses for being able to host the festival this year. Additionally, Hines said that while there is no gospel scheduled for Sunday as has been done in past years, it was decided that two evenings of music would not be overwhelming. "We also moved all the acts to the evening because of the heat, " Hines said. Hines said in a press release that the organization is extremely excited by the growth of the festival which was initiated in 2006 to bring attention to the area "which was the heart of African American life in southern Virginia for over a century." In addition to the festival, the Triangle Center for Development officially opened a community garden Friday evening. Hines said that the garden with 22 boxes that the community may use to plant vegetables, is designed to provide the community a place to grow their own food and to promote a healthier lifestyle. The festival will continue tonight from 5 to 10 p.m. at the corner of Halifax and South avenues in Petersburg. write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |