One of the parking signs for spectators. Photo courtesy of David Heupel
Today and tomorrow will see increased traffic around Greene County High School in Jefferson.
Vocal Director David Heupel says for the first time ever, they are hosting the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships (IVJC). He points out that essentially from noon-8pm for the next two days, the top high schools in Class 1A-4A will be competing in their auditorium.
As a way to help with traffic situations, High School Principal Karen Shannon has some safety and awareness information for the public. She states that while the contest is going on during the school day, only visiting school transportation vehicles will be allowed onto the campus.
Shannon points out that all other spectators will need to park across Highway 30 at the southwest corner of the Wild Rose Casino and Resort parking lot and a Greene County School District bus will be shuttling those individuals from the casino parking lot to the east side of the building, where they will need to walk along the sidewalk to the south entry doors to the auditorium. She notes that after 4:30pm, spectators and anyone else interested in watching the contest may park in the south event lot.
Shannon adds that anyone wanting to visit the high school for other reasons, can still park in the north lot and enter through the main doors.
Heupel says even though their vocal jazz ensemble, Ram Jive, wasn’t selected for IVJC, he encourages local people to still check it out.
“I hope we get a lot of community members to come and watch that because that’ll be something to see. But we’ll have several hundred people, I would assume from out of town, coming to see their own groups. The best thing is, we’re going to have two days of 32 best jazz choirs in the state, eight in each class, be a great thing for the community to come and see.”
Shannon is urging everyone to take additional time and be extra cautious when traveling by the high school the next two days for the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships. According to IVJC, admission price is $15 and click here for the full performance list and approximate times of those shows.