What's that on Parcel 5? Double-decker tent going up for Rochester Jazz Festival
A new temporary structure is being erected on Parcel 5 in downtown Rochester.
Construction for the double-decker tent for the Rochester International Jazz Festival is underway. The 9-day festival runs from June 17 to 25.
In past years, the double-decker tent that houses the festival's official merchandise store and sponsor hospitality space was located on Gibbs Street, next to the Eastman Theatre. But for the 2022 festival, the two-story tent has relocated to the north end of Parcel 5, said Amanda Antinore, spokeswoman for the event.
The move to Parcel 5 will give festival-goers more room to stroll on Gibbs Street/Jazz Street. In place of the double-decker tent, a open-air tent with tables will be located on the street to give festivalgoers more seating options near food vendors and a chance to rest in the shade.
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The move will also "enhance the experience for everyone" as the double-decker tent will offer viewing areas for folks admitted to the first- and second-floor hospitality suite during nightly concerts held on the Midtown Stage, located at the southern end of Parcel 5, Antinore said.
"It's going to be the place to be," she said.
At the Midtown Stage, festivalgoers can see 27 free shows throughout the 9-day event, with three shows per night, including festival headliners that typically perform inside the Eastman Theatre. Among the musicians to perform on the Midtown Stage are the popular velvet-smooth trumpeter Chris Botti on opening night (June 17), pop star Robin Thicke on June 21 and bouncy fusion band G Love & Special Sauce, with local soul and blues powerhouse vocalist Danielle Ponder as an opener on the festival's final night (June 25).
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The eclectic mix of artists will draw "a completely different crowd" for every show in a space that has been refreshed and revamped since the last Rochester International Jazz Festival held in 2019, when the parcel was still a gravel lot rather than a reimagined green space.
The two-story tent will be removed from Parcel 5 after the festival, and should be completely down, weather pending, by the end of June, Antinore said.
Festival organizers said they were not yet sure whether the double-decker tent will remain on Parcel 5 during future festival years or if it will return to Gibbs Street.
Roads around Parcel 5 will be closed to motorists during the festival, except for Main Street. Main Street will be closed to traffic between Gibbs and Chestnut Streets
Contact Victoria Freile at vfreile@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @vfreile and Instagram @vfreile. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: What's that on Parcel 5? Preparations for Rochester Jazz Festival
