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Festivals and all that jazz Major events reach milestones in 2004 By DIANE SLAWYCH, SPECIAL TO THE TORONTO SUN
When a festival or attraction marks a major anniversary, it generally entails a host of special events or rare opportunities to take part in historic celebrations. That's certainly the case with several of the events in 2004 listed below.
The Montreal International Jazz Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this summer with a dizzying array of concerts (including several headline acts) and the release of special CDs and DVDs that trace the festival's history. Add to that a special stamp that Canada Post is issuing in honour of the anniversary. The 12-day long event (June 30 to July 11) kicks off with a gala concert with Diana Krall and special guests (to be announced), and a closing show featuring Oliver Jones, who comes out of retirement for a double bill with Oscar Peterson. Other headline acts include k.d. lang and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; Colin James Band; a double bill featuring George Thorogood and the Destroyers; Ibrahim Ferrer; and Dianne Reeves. Of the hundreds of concerts scheduled, an amazing 350 are free! Festival organizers are offering concert and accommodation packages. There's also a Festival Fun Pack, which includes preferred access seating, access to jam sessions, ticket for the jazz d'ici series, a two-for-one city tour with GrayLine Montreal and more, all for $50. For details, call 1-888-515-0515 or visit www.montrealjazzfest.com. The Newport Jazz Festival, which some people call the "grandfather" of all jazz festivals, celebrates its golden anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the Newport Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary tour, a three-month-long event that began this month and runs until March 27, features more than a dozen musicians, including Howard Alden, Randy Brecker and Cedar Walton, in performances across the United States. If you miss this, several other jazz events take place in Newport in mid-August, including the Dave Brubeck Quartet; a Bill Cosby-hosted gala; and the JVC Jazz Festival, which salutes the legends of jazz and showcase music from big band to be-bop and the avant-garde. Call 212-496-9000 or visit www.newportjazz50th.com.
TAMPA'S PIRATE FEST One of the quirkiest and most popular festivals in the U.S. marks its 100th anniversary this year. The Gasparilla Pirate Fest in Tampa, Fla., celebrates the antics of pirate Jose Gaspar and his merry mates, who reputedly controlled the waters off Florida's Gulf Coast in the late 18th century. An estimated half a million people are expected to gather on Feb. 7, to watch a crew of 700 buccaneers invade Tampa on a fully rigged pirate ship complete with cannons. As hundreds of pleasure boats flank the vessel in an attempt to defend the city, the rowdy swashbucklers eventually gain control and are joined by 120 other "krewes" who take to the streets sharing their "treasures" of beads and dubloons in a colourful, 5.6-km waterfront parade. The first pirate themed festival in Gaspar's honour took place in 1904 (at the suggestion of a Tampa newspaper columnist) when "Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla" stormed Tampa by horseback. If you can't be there on Feb. 7, check out the other Gasparilla events to be held between January and March. For details, call 1-800-44-TAMPA or visit www.gasparillapiratefest.com. GRAND EXCURSION
Back in 1854, a flotilla of riverboats travelled up the Mississippi River focusing world attention on America's western frontier. On this "Grand Excursion," more than 1,200 dignitaries, journalists, business leaders and artists, travelled by steamboat from Rock Island, Ill., to Saint Anthony Falls, Minn., stopping at riverside communities. This year marks the 150th anniversary of that historic journey and to celebrate, more than 50 communities and dozens of organizations in the 643-km upper Mississippi River region are holding hundreds of events throughout the year. The highlight of "Grand Excursion 2004" takes place June 27 to July 5 and features a steamboat flotilla retracing the original journey. For details, call 1-800-732-1673 or visit www.grandexcursion.com. SHARKS The Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of North America's finest aquariums, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a new exhibition. Sharks: Myth And Mystery, which opens April 2, features sharks and stingrays of the world, and the ways in which they're honoured in various cultures. You'll find a dramatic presentation of the Amazonian tale of Mother Stingray and even the Saturday Night Live "Landshark" skit. The exhibition features more than two dozen species including zebra sharks, pajama catsharks, and Galapagos sharks -- a common tropical species that has never been on public display outside Hawaii. Visitors will be able to touch some animals in a shark petting pool, put on shark masks, watch films of Polynesian and African shark dances, and participate in other hands-on experiences. For details, visit www.montereybayaquarium.org.
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