Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival

Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival
In All the World, no place like this... for Jazz.
On an Island, 26 miles off the Southern California Coastline.
In a tiny seaport village... called Avalon!

This is the 26th Year of the world renowned Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival. Begun in 1987 by the Creator of Smooth Jazz on the West Coast of America, Art Good. A spin-off of the Lites Out San Diego late night radio program, first of it's kind, created March 8, 1982 in San Diego. Later copied by The Wave in L.A., KKSF in San Francisco, and a dozen other cities across America. A spin-off of Southern California's still most successful concert series to this date: Humphries Concerts by the Bay that Art helped forge in the early 80's. Most of all, a spin-off of the JazzTrax Syndicated Radio Show, now 26 years old, that created the audience that comes from all over America. And now with JazzTrax also being heard as a webcast, podcast, and available all over the World, this tiny Island and it's French Riviera style seaport village of Avalon comes alive again in October!

Most of all to the Avalon Ballroom high atop the Casino that William Wrigley built in 1929 to serve as an Entertainment Beacon just across the Sea Channel from Hollywood. In it's heyday of the 30's, 40's & 50's All the Big Bands played there and were broadcast on Weekend Nights to the Nation, LIVE on CBS Radio. Now the entire JazzTrax Festival is Webcast, LIVE to the World. Including a webcam constantly pointed at the Stage. But nothing matches arriving on Catalina Island yourself.

So popular now that couples traveling in by Air from other parts of the World and other parts of America tend now to turn it into a Full Week's Vacation. 10 days encompassing 2 complete JazzTrax Weekends as this festival, begun as just a 1 weekend event, in 1991 stretched to 2 full weekends. That's the year the late Grover Washington Jr. blew the roof off the Ballroom. Then in 1999 the JazzTrax Festival stretched to 3 consecutive weekends, held each October, the first 3 weekends of October. Since a growing number attend more than one weekend, it is mostly a different artist line-up each weekend.

In 2005 a Thursday Night attraction was added. Unplugged at the Wrigley Ranch ahead of all 3 festival weekends. The Evening begins by boarding a Tour Bus in Avalon and traveling 45 minutes across the very Top of the Island (the Island is actually a Mountain sticking out of the Pacific Ocean). On the way to the Wrigley Ranch on the Far Side, the Westward Side, the Tour Buses stop for hors d'oeuvres at the world famous Airport in the Sky. An airport a thousand feet altitude with an Ocean on either end of the landing strip (and cliffs on either end). Then on down to the Ranch that was in the Jack Nicholson Movie 'China Town.' Built by Phillip Wrigley in 1933 for an isolated place for his wealthy children to romp and for him to raise Arabian Horses. Now a Winery is being developed at the Ranch by Alison Wrigley Rusack. Dinner is served and then as Darkness Falls a Star of Smooth Jazz performs Unplugged Under the Stars. The best part of the Unplugged at the Ranch....on Friday Morning you wake up.....already on the Island, with a full day to explore and experience Avalon before the weekend concerts begin that night in the Avalon Ballroom.Your Unplugged Ticket includes the Friday Morning Secret Tour of the Casino's Secret Backstage rooms.


Catalina Island was purchased by William Wrigley, the chewing gum magnate in 1919. Almost one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the 10 story tall Casino building he built at the month of tiny Avalon Harbor, looking out to sea, 81 years ago. Stepping into it's ground level 1929 State of the Art Movie Theater, complete with orchestra pit and original Organ, now showing first run Hollywood movies, or the Above the Theater Avalon Ballroom, with French Doors opening All the Way Around to a Verandah overlooking the Ocean, the Harbor and Descanso Beach... is like Stepping Backwards in Time.

Located 26 Miles off the Southern California Coastline which inspired the Four Preps 1958 hit song "26 Miles Across the Sea (Santa Catalina is waiting for me)" Except for the seaport village of Avalon with about 5 thousand year round residents swelling to 3 or 4 times that on a 4th of July weekend, including many vacation homes, and the tiny Isthmus at the North End (both the Isthmus also known as 2 Harbors and Avalon are the primary Sailing Destination for all Southern California Yachtmen), the rest of the Island has been designated a Conservancy by the Wrigley in arrangement with the State of California to remain in it's mostly un-inhabited original state. There are full daily tours of the Island and passes can be obtained for hiking, camping, hunting. The primary mode of transportation in 1 square mile Avalon....Golf Carts.

Avalon is filled with hotels, inns, rental condo's and rental houses. JazzTrax.com provides links to all of this. What has become an increasingly popular way to attend the JazzTrax Festival is with another couple, or couples, or another friend or friends. Renting multiple bedroom condo's or multiple bedroom homes, with the cost of acclamation split between friends or couples, vastly reduces what is the most expensive item of the festival. Most prefer to arrive and stay the entire weekend. Whether Friday to Monday or with our Thursday Night Unplugged Concerts, Thursday to Monday, or an entire week, some for even 10 days encompassing 2 festival weekends. The town is filled with hotels, rental houses, and rental condo's. Also Hamilton Cove, a gated community built in the late 80's, just to the north of the Casino has a vast array of rental Villas, some with multiple bedrooms and each of these villa's (most with full ocean views) come with a private golf cart to tool back and forth to town. Hamilton Cove also has swimming pool and Jacuzzi overlooking the ocean. A private beach with barbecues. An ocean pier for fishing, diving, volleyball, 18 hole putting green, lit tennis courts.

A getaway to Catalina Island and the JazzTrax Festival. In All the World, No Place like THIS... for JAZZ!

At JazzTrax.com see links for boat and helicopters to the Island. Boat passage across the channel is about 1 hour. Boats depart the Mainland from Long Beach, San Pedro, Marina Del Rey, Dana Point, and Newport Beach. Helicopters cross in about 13 minutes and depart from near the Catalina Express terminals in Long Beach and San Pedro. Festival goers flying their own private aircraft, and some do, can land at the Airport in the Sky and shuttle down the 30 minutes down to Avalon.

Is this... Your Year... finally for coming to Catalina Island in October. To the JazzTrax Live Performance Stage... Get Stranded on an Island with the Stars of Smooth Jazz....