For more than a dozen years, Denver residents and jazz enthusiasts have flocked to Denver to listen, dance and celebrate jazz music at the annual Five Point Jazz Festival, held traditionally in May.

Last year’s event was switched to virtual to highlight local bands and entertainers. 

But this year, enthusiasts won’t hear the trumpets, saxophones or drums played along Welton Street as Denver Arts and Venues announced Thursday that the festival will be delayed because of health concerns and economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

“All these decisions are painful because we know what music means to our communities and us personally,” said Brian Kitts, a spokesman for Denver Arts and Venues. 

Kitts said the primary factors in the decision was the lack of funding for the free event — especially from Red Rocks Amphitheatre that’s owned by Denver Arts and Venues — and the lack of current staff available to organize it. 

The last in-person festival was held in 2019 and drew more than 100,000 people.

So while a number of Denver Arts and Venues staff are assisting other departments to support the city’s COVID-19 response, without them, it would be nearly impossible to organize. 

“All of our staff was furloughed in December and since then people have come back, but they’re being redeployed to other parts of the city, so to host this event would be extremely challenging,” Kitts said. 

Despite the annual jazz festival being put on pause for 2021, there is optimism for the event’s future. 

“Like everyone else in the entertainment business … 2020 has taught us how to evaluate and rethink how we can celebrate the arts and culture of our neighborhoods and our city,” said Denver Arts and Venues Executive Director Ginger White. “We remain committed to celebrating the cultural heritage of Five Points.”