4th Annual ‘Jazz in the Gardens’ Exceeds Expected Ticket Sales

TICKET SALES REMAIN HIGH FOR “JAZZ IN THE GARDENS” DESPITE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 9 /PRNewswire/ — The City of Miami Gardens’ 4th Annual “Jazz in the Gardens” hosted by Tom Joyner has exceeded ticket sales, selling over 15,000 tickets as of March 3rd,
just 30 days after tickets went on sale and with almost 30 days left to
go. As of today, the festival has sold more tickets than the total
amount sold for the 2008 festival, with the possibility of selling out
completely at 30,000. Sales continue to soar for “Jazz in the Gardens.”

Despite the harsh economic times and the fledgling sales of other
high-profile concerts, fans of “Jazz in the Gardens” are still buying
tickets at a rapid rate. The suspected reason for the flurry in ticket
sales are the amazing prices for the entertainment value, which
includes ten top name acts, each of whom could individually command the
price of a weekend ticket to “Jazz in the Gardens”. Headliners include
internationally renowned artists such as Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Anthony Hamilton, Kenny G., Common, Erykah Badu, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Will Downing, Roy Ayers, Angelique Kidjo and Jonathan Butler.

“Last year I attended ‘Jazz in the Gardens’ for the first time, and
since I didn’t sit down the whole time, they asked me to host it this
year. I can’t think of too many other places in the world that are
better to host a concert than South Florida.
Everything you could ever want is right there, restaurants, shopping,
beaches, it’s great. And if you know me, you know that I know a little
bit about lining up a concert, and I’m telling you this concert lineup
is unbelievable. Every single act is someone you would want to see,”
said radio personality Tom Joyner, official host of The 4th Annual “Jazz in the Gardens.”

In addition to the A-list line-up, the festival has a dedicated and
loyal fan base, whose unwavering national and international support is
one of the reasons why ticket sales in ’09 are exceeding expectations.
In just its fourth year, Jazz in the Gardens is poised to create
significant economic development for South Florida’s tourism industry
as thousands flock to Miami Gardens from all over the world.

“Four years ago, we were just another jazz festival, and now it is
really amazing to know that nationally and internationally, we are a
well-known and respected music festival. Jazz in the Gardens has become
an economic resource, infusing a new stream of revenue into the South Florida area, creating business opportunities for local businesses and sponsors and driving tourists into South Florida and the local community. In 2009 we will exceed our past attendance records and continue to make Miami Gardens the winter-break destination for mature adults,” says Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson.

“Jazz in the Gardens,” a two-day, weekend festival, is now in its
fourth year and has grown to be one of the top cultural events in South Florida. The jazz festival delivers a diverse mix of music genres that range from Jazz, R&B, Caribbean and African sounds.

For more information on the highly-anticipated “Jazz in the Gardens” go to http://www.jazzinthegardens.com or contact the City of Miami Gardens at 305.622.8043. All media inquiries should be directed to Circle of One Marketing at 305.576.3790.