The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A silent auction and appetizers by Hannah‘s Bella Bistro, Rude Native Bistro and Lucy‘s Seafood Kitchen are included in the $35 ticket for the night, which is the only time the festival is not free to the public. ' The 14th annual Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival begins on Thursday with an openâ€" ing gala event, which will feature Cosmic Ray and the 16â€"piece Escape Pods Big Band, Brooks said. "I heard them and 1 thought this is a fun way to open our day on Saturday. hey‘re very talented for highâ€"school kids." the Bluevale jazz choir is the opening act dt Saturday‘s testivities, taking the stage at 12:30 p.m "We‘re really looking forâ€" ward to that," said Patti Brooks. the executive direcâ€" tor of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area. who gave the kids a chance at the urging of a friend. And this weekend will stand on centre sta the testval. with 19 o vhoir mates. performin the throng of jazz lovers attend the annual event "It‘s really cool to t I‘m gctually going t singing in it this year,‘ said. passion tor the school tecided It‘s a highly anticipated Bluevale collegiate students get rare chance to sing at Uptown Waterioo Jazz Festival R rol‘s jazz cho this weeks id on centre aval. with 1 ventre stige at with 19 of her pertorming tor jazz lovers who to think g to be car." she That‘s the reason why it is such an honour for the Blueâ€" vale jazz choir to be taking part in the festival, said Nancy Kidd, the head of music at Bluevale collegiate. "The kids are very excitâ€" yed. And there was no quesâ€" tion they wanted to do this EIB. s "I kept saying. ‘Are you sure? It‘s in the summer.‘" But the students, who are in Grades 10 to 12, were thrilled at the prospect. "I‘m â€" pretty excited because this is a first for "We‘ve actually been touted as one of the top 10 jazz festivals in the country." festival in Waterloo Region Brooks said. Members of Bluevale collegiate‘s jazz choir prepare for their pink, says she‘s been listening to jazz all her life and is excite "In Grade 9, 1 saw the people who were in this choir and they looked like they were having a good time, and the music was good, so 1 wanted to get involved." And now that the group is performing in the jazz festiâ€" Andrews, who just finâ€" ished Grade 11, has been in the choir for two years, wakâ€" ing up early to attend choir practice one day a week at 7 a.m. "It‘s a really big honour to be able to sing in a festival like this where there are huge, renowned jazz musiâ€" clans." me," said choir member Emily Andrews. 16. are for their performance at the Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival on Saturday. Meghan Semple and is excited to be performing in the festival. As well, they‘ll do a jazz arrangement of the Beatles‘ classic Blackbird, and stanâ€" dards like It Don‘t Mean A Thing If It Ain‘t Got That They are slated to perâ€" form tributes to Ray Charles and Charlie Parker. This Saturday they will show off different stfles, including swing, samba and Latin jazz, and will feature both vocal and instrumental solos. The choir has sung in the Ontario vocal jazz festival for a number of years and has been invited to compete in national competitions, Kidd said. val, she‘s especially glad she joined the choir. 4. On Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. kids can take part in activities like face The festival, which is partnered with TD Canada Trust and hosted by uptown businesses, runs until Sunâ€" day and includes performâ€" ances by Denzal Sinclaire. Guido Basso and Dr. Draw, to name a few. getit "They‘ve never let me down and they‘re always a very enthusiastic group, so I‘m happy for them to have this opportunity. Kidd said she hopes the students do the best they can. Swing 1 don‘t think they‘ll for "It‘s everything yoy could possibly want, right in uptown Waterloo," Brooks said of the event, which is expected to draw a crowd of more than 20,000 people. Limited tickets are availâ€" able for the opening gala at the BIA office, or by calling 519â€"885â€"1921. There will also be many food apd drink options at the event, which will take place in the city centre parkâ€" ing lot, behind City Hall, at the corner of Regina and William streets. "Parents can sit right there while they‘re watching their children and enjoy the music," Brooks said. painting. 16, dressed in