All that jazz in downtown Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The 35th Annual North Carolina Jazz Festival kicked off Thursday night.

There will be jazz music playing all weekend at the Hilton in downtown Wilmington. Folks come out to hear their favorite musicians on stage, but event organizers said there's one reason people keep coming back every year.

"Well yeah, it is different every night. Tonight, Thursday night, is where we show different styles of jazz. And then Friday and Saturday are 14 musicians," said Sany Evans, the president of the North Carolina Jazz Festival.

WWAY proudly sponsors the event.

According to the North Carolina Jazz festival's website, the festival was started in 1980 by Dr. Harry VanVelsor, a local dermatologist, and consummate jazz lover. Over the years, jazz artists like Art Hodes, Milt Hinton, and Kenny Davern have come to Wilmington to play.

For more information on this year's festival, click here.