Back up the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival

Back up the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival

From Larry Claflin

We're raising money to offset the cost of putting on the 2024 Salem Jazz and Soul Festival. Please support our nonprofit mission of producing free concerts and supporting music-education causes on the North Shore.

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Update #1

7 months ago

We've surpassed 10 percent of our fundraising goal in just two weeks! Thanks very much for everyones' support thus far. Just another $1030 to raise by March 31 to get a $1500 matching donation. Please support your local jazz festival with a donation this week.

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Inspiring. Unifying. Philanthropic. 

As we enter our 18th season of live performance at the historic Salem Willows Park, the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival needs your help to continue impacting young lives.

Conceived in 2003 and first produced in 2007, this annual, free festival continues through individual donations, grants and support from local businesses.  This support in turn goes toward high school music education and musicianship programs across the North Shore. To date, SJSF has produced more than 100 free concerts and raised more than $70,000 to support music-education programs on Massachusetts’ North Shore. In past years we’ve donated equipment and money to North Shore High School Jazz bands, disbursed scholarships for students to attend regional music camps, offered grants to area group homes and services as well as after-school music programs. SJSF also funded an 8-week interactive music class for neurodivergent students, developed an intern program in which local high school students learned audio production, and created a monthly music class for young people.

The 2024 concert is scheduled for Saturday, August 17. The day will feature musicians from around the region, as well as opportunities to engage in music education and appreciation with family focused activities for people of all ages as they learn about music composition and music-making. We also plan to host a number of New England artisan vendors and at least one brewer.

Producing a safe, professionally run concert featuring top-notch talent from across the region is an expensive undertaking. The costs involved: paying for musicians, insurance, security and tents, along with fees for production, rentals, storage and more bring this year’s budget to more than $25,000. 

We need your help. A broad cross-section of our North Shore community attends the festival each year and we strive to create the best experience for you and the musicians that we host.  

We continually hear how much you enjoyed our shows in Derby Square pre-pandemic. It is our aim to reboot those as well as bring back the two-day Salem Jazz and Soul Festival format at the Willows in time for our 20th season in 2026. But this year, we are focused on bringing you the best experience we can produce this summer.

Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run entirely by volunteers. We urge you to consider making a donation to help fulfill our mission of producing a free, high-quality music festival with community at its core. No donation is too small as every bit of support helps! 

This is your festival. Please help us continue the tradition.

Thank you.

– 2024 Salem Jazz and Soul Festival 

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Larry Claflin posted a new update:
7 months ago

Update #1

We've surpassed 10 percent of our fundraising goal in just two weeks! Thanks very much for everyones' support thus far. Just another $1030 to raise by March 31 to get a $1500 matching donation. Please support your local jazz festival with a donation this week.

Join the Conversation

Sign in with your Facebook account or

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