Kinser Jazz Festival fundraiser set for October 13 at The M

A fundraiser for the Kinser Jazz Festival will be held on Friday, Oct. 13, from 6-10 p.m. at The M. “This will be an evening of great food, great local beverages, fun games, a silent auction, laughter, and of course great music,” said Joshua R. Mietz, DMA, and director of the annual Kinser Jazz Festival.

An “amazing” dinner from Occasions by Corey will be served along with local beverages and live music from the 2024 Jazz Festival headliner, The Ben Markley Quartet. Tickets are $80 per person and include dinner and a drink ticket. Two VIP tables are available and include sitting with the VIPs next to the band, two dinner and drink tickets, an autographed CD, and pictures with the band for $1,000. A general seating table for 10, which includes a dinner and drink ticket for each person, is also available for $1,000. For those unable to attend, donations are also sought.

Before 2015, the festival was primarily funded by the Casper College Foundation, the Casper College Music Department, and local grants. However, the festival often costs more to produce than it generates, according to Mietz. “There was a time when the financial sustainability of the festival was in question,” he noted. Because of that, larger grants from such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts and others were sought … “to help ensure we could continue offering this wonderful opportunity,” Mietz said.

Since 2016, the Casper College Music Department has had a financial plan and has been able to contribute any extra monies to a Kinser Jazz Festival-specific endowment.

The Kinser Jazz Festival is the largest of the three jazz festivals in Wyoming and, on a regional scale, is second in size only to the Greeley Jazz Festival. “Each year, we are proud to host 2,000-3,000 students, teachers, parents, and community members,” said Mietz.

“Through fundraising events such as our first-ever Kinser Jazz Festival 2023 Benefit Soiree, we intend to create a large enough endowment to draw only from the interest to enable the Kinser Jazz Festival to continue providing educational opportunities and community events to Casper College and Natrona County,” Mietz said.

To register or donate, go here. For more information, email Mietz at joshua.mietz@caspercollege.edu.

The first Kinser Jazz Festival 2023 Benefit Soiree will be held at The M, located at 234 E. First Street in downtown Casper.