Kicks Jazz Festival Brings Local Music-Lovers Together

Kicks Jazz Festival Celebrates for 28th Year

FARGO– Music lovers gather to celebrate and enjoy live music and fun for the whole family at the kicks band jazz festival at Island Park in Fargo. The festival has been around for about 28 years with a year off in 2020 due to the pandemic. The Kicks Jazz Festival brings musicians and concert-goers alike for a day of live music, dancing, and a variety of forms of jazz. Music director and executive director, Tim Johnson and his wife began running the event 3 years ago when it’s founder and previous director Christopher Hansen stepped down after 25 years.

“There is a lot of different variety and you come out and there’s nothing like seeing music live. You can listen to it on a recording and like it but when you go live you hear the.. you feel the music you watch the musicians and it just gets to be a special occasion,” said Johnson.

Many of the musicians participating in the festival are local music directors and educators brought together by their love for jazz.