Mission:

Coleman Hawkins Legacy Jazz Festival has the following missions and goals:

Bring jazz entertainment to the public free of charge.

Raise money voluntarily from festival attendees to support charity efforts in Shawnee County.

Promote and showcase University jazz education programs in the region.

Subsidize private music lessons for talented but economically disadvantaged youth.

Showcase local and regional jazz artists in order to enhance their ability to thrive and perform in Topeka.

Improve the overall entertainment climate for Topeka, making the city more attractive and conducive to growth.

About the Festival:

The Coleman Hawkins Legacy Jazz Festival is a "community" jazz festival, meaning that it features local and regional jazz artists and University jazz programs as a major focus, in addition to booking national headliner acts. This community festival model is designed not only to entertain audiences, but to promote and elevate jazz as an art form in the community and to provide a venue for local and regional jazz groups. Many citizens are unaware of the fine jazz artists who exist in the community and those who are now performing throughout America. Because this model helps project a positive image of Topeka as a vibrant and fun city it also facilitates growth and helps attract young families and businesses.

The festival is free to the public. This does not mean that the musicians are performing for free. Musicians study for years to be able to perform music at a high level and deserve to make a living doing it. Corporations and businesses along with grants and some individual donors in Topeka sponsor this event and make it possible.