What Healdsburg Jazz Festival does

Healdsburg Jazz Festival is a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization founded in 1999 and based in Healdsburg, California (Sonoma County), operating the annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival (a 10-day summer event) and the newer WinterFest launched in 2025, alongside year-round programming such as the weekly Hotel Healdsburg Jazz at the Spirit Bar series. Its core products are live jazz performances delivered through flagship festivals, curated concerts, and venue-based residencies, supported by an extensive education arm that includes school assemblies (Black and Latin History Month, Harlem of the West), youth ensembles (Freedom Jazz Choir, Future All Stars Band, Healdsburg High After School Jazz Band), and the North Star Performing Arts Camp, reaching more than 7,000 students annually.

The organization serves a hybrid customer base: jazz enthusiasts and music lovers attending ticketed performances, K-12 students and schools benefiting from educational programming, corporate patrons and sponsors (predominantly wine-country hospitality and luxury real estate), and the broader Sonoma County community engaging through free and cultural-heritage events. Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model spanning one-time ticket sales, recurring memberships and patron tiers (ranging from $5,000 Jazz Legends to $50,000+ Jazz Champions), multi-tier corporate sponsorships (Lead, Major, Official, Business, Media), tax-deductible donations, merchandise sales, and grants from foundations and government agencies (NEA, Creative Sonoma, Healdsburg Rotary, Bill Graham Foundation, CalOSBA, City of Healdsburg, Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District).

Distribution runs through direct online ticketing (VBOTickets), venue box offices, membership and patron programs, and a media-sponsor network (SF Chronicle, DownBeat Magazine, Press Democrat). Operational technology is minimal; no proprietary software, platform, or AI capabilities are disclosed. Governance rests under current Artistic Director Marcus Shelby, who succeeded founder Jessica Felix in 2020, with leadership supported by a board and a small staff of 11-50 employees. The organization has earned high-credibility third-party recognition, including DownBeat Magazine's "All Killer, No Filler" designation and SF Chronicle's ranking as "one of the best small jazz festivals in the country, if not the world."

Name

Healdsburg Jazz Festival

Legal name

Healdsburg Jazz

Website

https://healdsburgjazz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Healdsburg Jazz Festival is a Sonoma County, California-based non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization that produces an annual 10-day summer jazz festival, a newer WinterFest, year-round concerts, and education programs reaching 7,000+ students, funded through tickets, memberships, patron tiers, sponsorships, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music & Arts Festivals

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Jazz festival events
• Live music performances
• Music education programs
• Arts nonprofit
• Cultural programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Healdsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from concert and festival ticket sales for live jazz performances
2. Memberships: Annual membership programs offering exclusive benefits including advance ticket sales, concert discounts, member-only events, and merchandise
3. Patron Program: VIP patron program with tiered giving levels ($5,000-$50,000+) providing inner circle access, private concerts, reserved seating, VIP lounges, food, wine, and parking at select venues
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Festival sponsorships at various levels including lead, major, official, business, and media sponsor categories
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting jazz performances and music education programming for youth
6. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise through the organization's merchandise page
7. Grants: Grant funding from foundations including Healdsburg Rotary, Creative Sonoma, City of Healdsburg, CalOSBA, NEA, Bill Graham Foundation, and Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Healdsburg Jazz Festival is a non-profit arts organization that produces an annual summer jazz festival (10 days), an inaugural Winterfest, year-round concerts, and a suite of music education programs for youth and schools in Sonoma County. The core offering is live jazz performance programming combined with educational outreach that reaches more than 7,000 students annually.

Product overview

Healdsburg Jazz Festival is a non-profit arts organization that operates as a single unified offering centered on jazz performance and education. The core product is the annual Summer Jazz Festival (10-day event) and the newer Winterfest winter edition. Supporting these festivals are education programs including school assemblies, youth bands, and summer camps, plus Patron and Membership tiers providing VIP access and benefits. The organization also runs year-round concerts like Hotel Healdsburg Jazz at the Spirit Bar, and offers Legacy Giving for planned estate gifts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WinterFest: Winter festival event featuring jazz performances

Products and services

• Summer Jazz Festival The organization's flagship annual festival featuring internationally acclaimed jazz musicians performing over multiple days in wine-country venues in Sonoma County.
• Winterfest A winter edition of the festival launched in 2025, featuring jazz performances during the colder months. Winterfest 2027 is scheduled for January 28-31, 2027.
• Family Matinee Concerts Educational concert series designed for families, part of the community programming initiatives.
• Educational Artist Talks Interactive presentations by jazz artists that educate audiences about jazz history and performance.
• Freedom Jazz Choir A choir program focused on jazz vocal performance and education.
• Healdsburg Jazz Future All Stars Band Youth jazz ensemble providing performance opportunities for young musicians.
• North Star Performing Arts Camp Summer camp program for young people to learn and perform jazz.
• Healdsburg High School After School Jazz Band School-based jazz education program for high school students.
• Black and Latin History Month Assemblies Educational school assemblies celebrating Black and Latin history through jazz.
• Harlem of the West Assemblies Educational presentations about the Harlem jazz scene and its Western counterparts.
• Patron Program
• Membership Program
• Legacy Giving
• Merchandise
• Hotel Healdsburg Jazz at the Spirit Bar

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches more than 7,000 students annually through educational programming
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered lead, major, official, lead media, media and venue partner.

• OvershineleadGTM or Marketing PartnerLead Festival Sponsor for the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, providing primary sponsorship support for the annual event
• Bacchus LandingmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Festival Sponsor providing venue and hospitality support for festival events
• Foley Family Charitable FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Festival Sponsor through the Foley Family Charitable Foundation supporting arts and culture
• Hotel HealdsburgmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Festival Sponsor and venue host for Hotel Healdsburg Jazz at the Spirit Bar weekly performances
• Adonna Vineyards & WinesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Festival Sponsor representing local wine industry support for the arts
• Healdsburg Chamber of CommercemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Festival Sponsor and community partner supporting local tourism and cultural events
• Auteur WinesofficialGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Sponsor representing boutique wine industry partnership
• Alaska AirlinesofficialGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Sponsor providing travel support for festival artists and attendees
• Healdsburg Sotheby's International RealtyofficialGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Sponsor representing luxury real estate community support
• SF Chroniclelead mediaGTM or Marketing PartnerLead Media Sponsor providing editorial coverage and promotional support
• DownBeat MagazinemediaGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Sponsor providing editorial coverage in leading jazz publication
• Press DemocratmediaGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media sponsor providing regional coverage
• Paul Mahder Galleryvenue partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue for festival concerts including Chico Pinheiro Trio performances
• Raven Theatervenue partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner hosting major festival performances including Ravi Coltrane Quartet

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Newport Jazz Festival: The most established jazz festival in the United States, operated by a nonprofit presenting organization. Comparable nonprofit festival structure, but at substantially larger scale and national/international brand recognition.
• Jazz at Lincoln Center: National nonprofit jazz organization presenting concerts, festivals, and education nationwide. Comparable in nonprofit jazz-presenter mission with strong educational programming, but operates at vastly larger scale.
• Playboy Jazz Festival: Long-running festival at the Hollywood Bowl (currently on hiatus). Comparable as a ticketed jazz festival with corporate sponsorship model, though larger in scale and Southern California-based.
• SFJAZZ: The largest nonprofit jazz organization on the West Coast, operating SFJAZZ Center and a major annual festival. Comparable in nonprofit jazz-presenter model and Bay Area footprint, but at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Yoshi's: Oakland-based jazz club and restaurant hosting year-round performances with an educational component. Comparable as a Northern California nonprofit-adjacent jazz presenter with similar operational scale.
• Telluride Jazz Festival: Destination jazz festival in Telluride, Colorado, combining ticketed performances with educational programming. Directly comparable in festival-plus-education model and small-town destination positioning.
• Monterey Jazz Festival: One of the longest-running jazz festivals in the world, held annually in Monterey, California. Directly comparable as a regional California jazz festival with educational programming and similar operational scale.
• San Jose Jazz: Operates the SJZ Breakroom and annual SJZ Summer Fest in San Jose. Closely comparable in scale, Northern California geography, year-round programming model, and educational mission.
• Stanford Jazz Festival: Annual jazz festival and educational program hosted by Stanford University, featuring youth workshops and concerts. Directly comparable in festival-plus-jazz-education model in the Bay Area.
• Kuumbwa Jazz Center: Santa Cruz-based nonprofit jazz presenter running year-round concerts and educational programming. Comparable in size, Northern California geography, and educational/community-focused nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/healdsburgjazz
• Facebookfacebook.com/healdsburgjazzfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/healdsburg-jazz-festival-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Healdsburg Jazz Festival