Attracting somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 people to a community festival is no easy task.

But that is what the 2008 Georgian Sound Festival is planning to do April 25 through 27, when Jazzmania, Big Band Saturday and Gospelfest roll into town.

It's a big job.

Booking 10 jazz bands for Friday night, three big dance bands and two professional dance groups for Saturday, and two gospel groups plus a jazz brunch for Sunday requires lots of help. That's where our community's sponsors shine, organizers said.

Sometimes through gifts in kind, sometimes with cash and sometimes both, the Town of The Blue Mountains and many of the community businesses, work behind the scenes to help bring this great community jazz festival to life.

For example, before you see a ticket, a brochure or a poster, Shane Durnford Design of Creemore created the graphic "look" for this year's festival and Riverside Graphics and Running Tide in Clarksburg handled the printing and website design.

Havens Home Hardware not only sponsors the festival, but also provides an account at the store for the Festival to use for set-up and teardown. The professional ballroom and swing dancers are provided overnight accommodation by Club Intrawest and The Westin Trillium House.

And if you buy tickets to any of the events before April 15 or visit three or more Jazzmania venues on Friday night, you could win a night at The Westin Trillium House, a gift certificate to Le Scandinave Blue Mountain or a starter kit and quartz metronome by Adult 88 Keys, an adult beginner and senior piano studio located in Christie Beach.

Both The Westin Trillium House and Shane Durnford Design are sponsoring Jazzmania venues and performers The Shelaugh Hart Trio at Bridges Tavern and the Charlie Bell Trio at the Loft Gallery respectively

As the Title Sponsors, TD Canada Trust is sponsoring perennial favourite Louis Lefaive and his Kings of Swing at the Festival's newest venue, Largo Restaurant and Bar,  Meridian Credit Union is sponsoring the Heart & Soul at Te Dam Pub and Blue Mountain Honda, in addition to providing eight-passenger shuttles around town that night, is sponsoring The Shawn Mei Trio at Sisi On Main.

Lora Bay is the host sponsor at the Mill Cafe for Dr. Jazz North, a group that comes all the way from North Bay to perform at Jazzmania. Noble Insurance is hosting the Lisa Hutchinson Trio at Sterio's. Lisa is also a starring vocalist for the Georgian Sound Big Band, so will sing at both Big Band Saturday performances as well.

The Festival's media sponsors are also doing double duty as Jazzmania sponsors. 95.1 The Peak FM will try to keep a lid on the irrepressible "figs" - the Figleaf Jazz Band - at Piper's Tavern, West-Simcoe Media Group, which includes the Courier Herald and Meaford Express, is sponsoring Parsons and Brown, with special guest Syl McIntosh at BVO's Java Jazz in the L.E. Shore Library and mycollingwood.ca is hosting the Regal Jazz Band at Marsh Street Centre.

For Big Band Saturday, the professional dancers - Swing & Tap Academy of Toronto and Colleen and Dieter of The Dance Cafe - all donate their time and energy to make the Big Band performances extra special.

Without the help of these and dozens of other individual and business sponsors, the effort of many volunteers and the support of the Town of the Blue Mountains itself, the festival would not be possible. Their financial contributions are one of the ways they strive to make life in our community that much better.

Jazzmania tickets are $15 and get you in to as many of the 10 venues as you can handle.  Tickets for Big Band Saturday with the Georgian Sound Big Band, the George Lake Big Band and the Toronto All Stars cost  $25 (youth, under 18 - $15) for either the matinee (1 p.m.) or evening (8 p.m.) performance.  Gospelfest tickets are $10 (youth, under 18 - $8).

Starting at 2 p.m., Sunday, Gospelfest opens with the Georgian Bay Secondary School Jazz Ensemble and then welcomes Sharon Riley and Faith Chorale, recently performing at the Oscar Peterson tribute.

A weekend pass with one ticket for each of Jazzmania, Big Band Saturday (matinee or evening) and Gospelfest costs only $45.

The Jazz Brunch at The Raven Grill at Lora Bay with the exciting sounds of the Bourbon Street Buskers and a themed brunch menu starts at 11 a.m., Sunday, April 27, costs just $35 and still lets you get to Gospelfest on time.

You can also book a group dance lesson to polish your dance steps and learn how to dance like the pros. That will be offered Saturday at the Marsh Street Centre at 10 or 11 a.m. for just $10 per person.

Festival tickets are available now online at the website, or call the Festival Hotline at 519-599-3223.  Tickets are available in person at Riverside Graphics in Clarksburg, Jessicaís Book Nook in Thornbury or Stuff to Read in Meaford.

For more information, contact Steph McLarty via the Festival Hotline at 519-599-3223.