Highland Jazz and Blues Festival

What Highland Jazz and Blues Festival does

The Highland Jazz and Blues Festival is an annual, free-admission community festival held at Columbia Park in Shreveport, Louisiana, organized by the Highland Area Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The 2026 edition is the organization's 22nd annual event. Programming centers on jazz and blues performances serving the local Shreveport community and the broader northwest Louisiana region.

The festival operates a nonprofit revenue model with no ticket revenue, drawing operating support from a mix of vendor booth fees, corporate sponsorships (including Live! Casino and Hotel as presenting sponsor for 2026), government and community foundation grants, and individual donations. Recent additions include a Friend of Festival recurring monthly donation program and a Drag Brunch fundraiser, both designed to diversify and stabilize income outside the single annual event cycle. Community engagement is extended through a student poster contest now spanning Caddo, Bossier, and Desoto Parishes.

Operationally, the organization is lean, with executive leadership under Executive Director Emerie Eck Holtzclaw. Its competitive position is anchored by two decades of brand continuity, deep local civic and institutional relationships, and a free-admission model that maximizes community reach. There is no disclosed use of technology platforms, digital products, or AI systems; the core 'product' is the live festival experience itself.

Name

Highland Jazz and Blues Festival

Legal name

Highland Area Partnership

Website

https://highlandjazzandblues.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Highland Jazz and Blues Festival is a free, annual community jazz and blues festival held at Columbia Park in Shreveport, Louisiana, organized by the Highland Area Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It serves northwest Louisiana residents through live music, vendor activities, and youth arts programming funded by sponsorships, grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Music Festival

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Community music festival
• Jazz and blues events
• Festival vendor booths
• Nonprofit cultural events
• Event sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Shreveport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Friends of the Festival Monthly Donations: Monthly recurring donations of $10 per month through PayPal from community supporters who receive VIP tickets, name recognition on banner, window sticker, and website/social media recognition.
2. Vendor Fees: One-time vendor participation fees: Artists/Artisans/Crafters $65 per 10'x10' space, Cottage Food Vendors $65, Concessionaire/Food Trucks $250, Added Value Vendors starting at $65, Nonprofit organizations $25. Electricity additional $10.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Presenting sponsors, connectivity sponsors, stage sponsors, beverage sponsors, and various naming opportunities (Gazebo Stage, Children's Area, Dog Park, Seating Area, Restroom Area, Beverage Booths, VIP Lounge, etc.).
4. Event Ticket Sales: Ticket sales for ancillary events like Drag Brunch: General Admission $20-$25, with brunch and cocktail/mimosa packages at $60-$75.
5. Grant Funding: Festival receives grants from City of Shreveport, Community Foundation of North Louisiana, Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Parish of Caddo, Shreveport Regional Arts Council, and Visit Shreveport-Bossier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Highland Jazz & Blues Festival is a free annual community music festival held at Columbia Park in Shreveport, Louisiana, featuring live performances by local and national jazz and blues artists along with food vendors and local artwork. The 22nd annual edition is scheduled for September 19, 2026, presented by Live! Casino and Hotel. Complementary offerings include paid vendor booth spaces, event sponsorship packages, a monthly donor program, ancillary ticketed fundraisers, and an annual student poster contest.

Product overview

The Highland Jazz & Blues Festival is a free annual community music festival in Shreveport, Louisiana, entering its 22nd year in 2026. The core offering is the festival event itself, featuring jazz and blues performances at Columbia Park. Supporting products include vendor booth space rentals, musician application programs, sponsorship packages, a Friend of Festival monthly donation program, an annual student poster contest, and community fundraisers like the Drag Brunch. These offerings are coordinated through the Highland Area Partnership Board of Directors and utilize third-party platforms like Eventeny for applications and PayPal for donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highland Jazz & Blues Festival (Annual Festival Event) Free annual one-day community music festival held at Columbia Park in Shreveport, Louisiana, featuring local and national jazz and blues artists, food and beverage vendors, and local artwork. The 22nd annual edition is scheduled for September 19, 2026 and is open to the general public at no charge.
• Festival Vendor Booth Spaces Paid booth spaces for artists, artisans, crafters, cottage food vendors, concessionaires/food trucks, added value vendors, and nonprofit organizations at the annual festival. Applications are processed through Eventeny with a $10 non-refundable application fee and a $10 electricity add-on.
• Festival Sponsorship Packages Tiered corporate sponsorship packages allowing businesses and organizations to support the festival in exchange for named-area recognition (e.g., Presenting, Connectivity, Gazebo Stage, Cup, Beverage Booths, Dog Park, VIP Lounge, Seating Area, Restroom Area, Community Sponsor).
• Friend of the Festival Monthly Donation Program Recurring monthly donation program at $10/month via PayPal that grants supporters VIP admission tickets (when signed up at least 6 months prior), name recognition on the festival banner, window sticker, and website and social media acknowledgment.
• Drag Brunch Fundraiser Ticketed fundraiser event featuring brunch, entertainment, and specialty cocktails, with proceeds supporting the festival to maintain free admission. Held at Fatty Arbuckles Pub in Shreveport with presale and at-door pricing tiers.
• Student Poster Contest Annual poster design contest for high school juniors and seniors in Caddo, Bossier, and Desoto Parishes. The winning design is used as the official festival poster, with the winner receiving $500.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered primary, minor and core.

• Live! Casino and HotelprimaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Presenting Sponsor of the 22nd Annual Highland Jazz and Blues Festival.
• XfinityminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Connectivity Sponsor providing internet/connectivity services or sponsorship.
• Lilah's BakeryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Cup Sponsor for the festival.
• Heavenly Acres for PetsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Dog Park sponsor.
• Ambetter HealthminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Seating Area sponsor.
• Infrastructure Rehabilitation USAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Restroom Area sponsor.
• Coca-Cola United ShreveportcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Beverage Booth sponsor providing beverages for the festival.
• Glazer's Beer & BeveragecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Beverage Booth sponsor for beer and beverages.
• Avalon Hair SalonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026VIP Lounge sponsor.
• Snell's Limbs & BracesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026VIP Lounge sponsor.
• Morris and Dewett Injury LawyersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Koozie Sponsor.
• Leaf Filter Gutter ProtectionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Vendor Villages sponsor.
• Kings Hwy ExxonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Golf Cart Sponsor.
• Ochsner LSU Health SciencescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026First Aid Station sponsor for festival safety.
• Raising Cane's Chicken FingersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Community Sponsor.
• Marilynn's PlaceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Announcement Party sponsor.
• Ark-La-Tex Tents & EventscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Production Sponsor providing tent and event equipment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• French Quarter Festival: A free-admission annual music festival in New Orleans featuring Louisiana artists across multiple genres. Most directly comparable in its free-admission, community-oriented, locally-anchored festival model, though at significantly larger scale.
• Monterey Jazz Festival: One of the longest-running jazz festivals in the world (since 1958), operated by a nonprofit with ticketed and educational programming. Comparable in genre focus and nonprofit structure, but with national scale and ticketed model.
• Cascade Blues Association Festivals: A Pacific Northwest nonprofit promoting blues through events and programming. Comparable in nonprofit structure and blues-mission focus, though operates as a year-round association rather than single annual event.
• North Texas Jazz Festival: A regional jazz festival in the Dallas-Fort Worth area organized as a nonprofit. Directly comparable in genre, scale, and community nonprofit structure to the Highland Jazz & Blues Festival.
• Festival International de Louisiane: A free-admission annual music and arts festival in Lafayette, Louisiana, with a comparable nonprofit governance structure and community-focused model. Similar regional scope but Francophone/world-music genre focus.
• Red River Revel Arts Festival: A free-admission annual arts and music festival in Shreveport, Louisiana — directly in the same city and overlapping vendor and audience base with the Highland Jazz & Blues Festival. The closest local geographic peer.

Broad incumbents

• Essence Festival of Culture: A major New Orleans-based annual music and culture festival. Comparable as a Louisiana-based recurring festival drawing on national talent, though at substantially larger scale and commercial sponsorship scale.
• Memphis in May International Festival (Beale Street Music Festival): A multi-day music festival in Memphis, Tennessee with strong blues heritage roots. Comparable as a regional nonprofit-organized multi-genre music festival, though much larger in scale and scope.
• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival: The flagship jazz and heritage festival in Louisiana, operated by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation (also a grant funder of the Highland Jazz & Blues Festival). Same genre focus and state, but vastly larger scale and ticketed model.

Regional players

• Voodoo Music + Arts Experience: A New Orleans-based multi-genre music festival. Same state and regional festival ecosystem, but operates on a ticketed, larger commercial model rather than community nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hjbfmusic

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 Highland Jazz and Blues Festival