Artistic Director Kevin Tobin and the festival’s board spent weeks reacting to constantly changing pandemic information and restrictions, but the province has reopened and they are good to go — albeit with a scaled-down schedule.

“Normally, we’re up in the 125 range but we’re scaling it to what we can feasibly do this year,” Tobin said in an interview. “I’m happy with 50. It provides a lot of opportunities for local artists to perform and offer that musical diversity.”

Over 95 per cent of the performances are free, he noted, “and we will also have a lot of virtual shows livestreamed Aug 11-15.

“It’s been such a difficult year, 16 months, for arts and cultural organizations . . . we’re really proud to be able to bring the community back together to celebrate our musicians, celebrate arts and culture, be around friends and family.

“We’re feeling very proud, very fortunate that the work of frontline workers, the sacrifices of the community, have allowed us to get to this point and present a festival. We’re hoping everyone comes out and has a great time.”

The venues include the TD Mainstage in the Bessborough Gardens, the Sheraton Cavalier, the Alt Hotel, Crossmount Cider Company and (collectively) the downtown sidewalk stages. Crossmount is a new sponsor and a new venue.

“The support of funding agencies and sponsors has been huge for the festival over the years,” Tobin emphasized. “It’s an important part of the story. So many things have to happen for us to put on the festival and this is an important component.”

The mainstage will run ticketed performances Aug. 7-10 and free shows Aug. 11-15. The festival is focusing on local, provincial and Canadian acts.

Headlining in the Gardens are local rockers Wide Mouth Mason and The Sheepdogs on Aug. 7; Vancouverbased rising country stars The Washboard Union on Aug. 8; the folkrock Ontario duo Whitehorse Aug. 9; and the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra with Keyed of Life: The Music of Stevie Wonder on Aug. 10.

While COVID restrictions ended mid-July, Tobin and his crew continue to include safety precautions in their planning.

“We’re trying to build out a good festival experience that’s accessible,” Tobin said, noting they will also have four yoga events. “The mainstage won’t be running at full capacity; we want to make sure there’s enough room for people to spread out.”

Sanitation stations and cleaning staff will be on site in the Gardens, while precautions at events on private property will be based on current restrictions and the businesses’ own guidelines.

“As it relates to masks and social distancing, as of now those restrictions will not be imposed and we will continue to follow SHA (Sask. Health Authority) guidelines,” Tobin said. He urged all festival goers to follow the festival’s social media channels daily for up-to-date information.

Safety, he said, whether it’s COVID-related or anything else, “is the number one priority.”

For just the second time, the Jazz Festival has outsourced its box office. Tickets are available through the Broadway Theatre box office at 715 Broadway Ave., by phone at 306-652-6556, or online at broadwaytheatre.ca/ events. Find the full musical schedule at https://www. saskjazz.com/.

-Joanne Paulson