SCRANTON, Pa. — The smooth sounds of Jazz fill the air in Downtown Scranton on Friday for the 19th annual Scranton Jazz Festival.
"Well, we have a history in the Jazz lineage going all the way back to a group called the Scranton Sirens," said Marko Marcinko, Artistic Director for the Scranton Jazz Festival. "There's a lot of significant musicians, writers, arrangers, and significant artists that have come out of Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania."
More than 40 musical acts from all over the world are calling the city home for the weekend, delighting audiences and business owners alike.
"Our mission here is really to diversify the amount of shows that come in here and really have a place for everyone, so jazz just as another element to that," said The Ritz Theater Owner James Olecki.
With the festival expected to bring hundreds of visitors to the city, Olecki says it's a great weekend for Jazz fans to enjoy music and see what Scranton has to offer.
"Having something like jazz under the marquee in the finale on Sunday just gets people in the door, button seats, and ultimately benefits all the tenants in the building," said Olecki.
"It's cool to see a thriving community of various kinds of music, actually," said Evan Castelli of Taylor.
After grabbing dinner, Castelli stopped along Wyoming Avenue for a three-piece band out of Philadelphia.
"More events like this would really puts Scranton on the map, and I think it's nice that they have it," said Castelli.
For a full list of acts and where they are playing, you can click here.