Attendance of the Abbotsford Festival Has Grown by 450% In Past Five Years
Submitted. The Jam in Jubilee Summer Concert Series celebrates its 10th year anniversary this July 10th 2014, when its first performers hit the stage at Abbotsford’s Jubilee Park. Organizers of the Fraser Valley’s premiere grassroots music and arts festival are reflecting on a decade of enormous growth with gratitude for the contributions of its young volunteers.
In the past five years since the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association passed on ownership of the festival to a youth-oriented group called the Jam In Jubilee Committee, the free community event’s attendance has grown by over 450%. The Committee attributes the festival’s growth to a new focus on procuring the Fraser Valley’s most exciting indie music talent for its main-stage. The festival has grown extremely popular among 15-30 year olds while still maintaining a family-friendly, inclusive atmosphere.
Impressively, Jam in Jubilee is run entirely by non-paid volunteers; the past 4 editions of the festival were fuelled by an estimated 25,000 volunteer hours. Jam in Jubilee Director Sophia Suderman acknowledges that the vast majority of those volunteer hours were donated by the same 15-30 year-old demographic that has been flocking to the festival in recent years.
‘It’s clear that, contrary to the Millennial generation’s reputation for self-centeredness, young people are really willing to work hard for a community that they believe in,’ says Sophia Suderman, Jam in Jubilee’s Director. ‘I think Jam in Jubilee represents a “cause” to a lot of young people in Abbotsford who are hungry for a stronger arts community.’
With the festival line up complete, and critically acclaimed acts like Young Liars, Jay Arner, Derrival, and Open Letters confirmed to take the stage each Thursday night in Abbotsford’s Jubilee Park from July 10th to August 14th, Suderman is hopeful that Jam in Jubilee will continue to break attendance records and new cultural ground in the Fraser Valley. ‘We’re honoured to have been asked to curate stages for the Berry Beat Festival and Abbotsford’s Canada Day celebrations. Also, the Townhall Public House and UFV’s CiVL Radio are hosting shows that will take place on Thursday nights after the other bands have played in Jubilee Park. We’re calling that the “After Dark Series” and we’re really excited about it. It’s great to finally see youth culture in Abbotsford coming up from the underground and being truly supported.’
There are still opportunities for volunteers to get involved with Jam in Jubilee this summer. To learn more about the festival or to get connected as a volunteer, visit: http://jaminjubilee.com.
