PORT ANGELES — Attendance appeared to be down slightly at Jazz in the Olympics this year, but official numbers weren’t yet in on Sunday.
“Everything has gone great — the festival went off smoothly,” said Vanessa Shearer, who organized the event for the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“The swing day in particular went fantastic — everyone was very happy we offered it.”
Traditional jazz is a mainstay of the annual festival — which celebrated its 10th year this year.
But to add a little something extra, the organizers added a swing day.
The traditional jazz bands from the three other venues played but with a swing flair on Saturday.
The Vern Burton Community Center, the Elks Lodge, the Eagles Club and the Red Lion Hotel hosted the event.
Shearer said she heard that there were two couples who faithfully attended the festival together who particularly enjoyed this year’s new swing day.
“One couple danced, and the other never did,” she said.
“But we had fantastic teachers, and they got up there and danced the whole night away.”
Shearer said it appeared that most people showed up for Saturday and Sunday of the festival and attendance on Friday seemed to be slightly down.
“We don’t have any estimates yet,” she said.
“We were just looking at the general attendance of how the venues looked.”
The Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce took over planning the three-day event last year after assisting with it for several years, Shearer said.
More specific numbers will be available later today, she said.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.
