Great Lakes Arts and Jazz Festival Looks to Pump Life Back Into East Toledo

Toledo Local Features  |  By Michael Pierce  |  09/14/2015 8:00 am

Main Street in East Toledo was once the place to be. Music was happening at the Main Event and Frankie’s many nights of the week and crowds of urban youth, eager to hear something new - yes, back then you had to wait to hear something new - lined the walls and sidewalks of Toledo’s only Main Street. Today, that picture is a little different. And that’s what city councilman Mike Craig looks to change.

“I’ve been in East Toledo for 55 years and I’m 60, so, basically I’ve lived here all of my life”, says Craig. “My parents had a bar in East Toledo - The Brick Barrel, on Starr and East Broadway, and when I grew up that was the place to be. I’m really hoping to bring some of that spirit back to this side of town.”

This year’s event is the first of it’s kind, but is also, essentially, a sequel to last year’s Main Event Art & Music Festival. Instead of Main Street, this time they’ve chosen the National Museum of the Great Lakes as the location. And this time around, they’re getting jazzy. This year’s event is co-hosted by the H-Factor Jazz Show of UT’s WXUT radio station, and brings a night of local as well as national talent to the riverfront - with the main attraction being jazz guitarist and producer Nils. Originally from Munich, Nils moved to Los Angeles in the 80’s, and has since performed on over a dozen albums - including The Temptation’s platinum selling “Phoenix Rising” in 1998.

What prompted the decision to move the festival to the Great Lakes Museum?

“Doing it at the museum site is a lot less labor intensive than last year. Being right on the river we don’t have to worry quite as much about about blocking up the businesses on Main Street. It’s a beautiful venue; if you look in one direction you see the front of the ship - with the Glass City Skyway bridge in the background, and if you look the other way you get the skyline of downtown.”

Do you think these events will help those from other parts of town get over their fear of ‘crossing the river’?

“That is exactly what we want to happen, maybe taking them to Main Street is a bit of a jump. Because Main street has an urban/gritty feel, and maybe taking them to the museum site at the marina district - easing them in there, and working on them to get them back over to Main Street is the way to go. But we don’t have enough people in East Toledo with enough disposable income to support a thriving main street. this is the only Main Street in Toledo, you know, and there is some great architecture over here. This part of town has great bones, we just need to put a little meat on those bones.”

This year is much different from last year’s event, but essentially the goal is the same. Do you anticipate trying something new every year?

“This is only the second year. There’s always room to try new things, but I would like to get down a basic pattern. I don’t think that I will move it away from the National Museum location. It’s a great venue, and they’re willing to partner with us on this. One goal is to bring attention the the Great Lakes Museum, but we’re also hoping to be able to generate money so that we can give Main Street some much needed attention.”

For a complete list of performers and other information about the festival, click here.