As Ōamaru's Harbour Street Jazz and Blues Festival grooves into its tenth year, the event still strikes a chord with musicians and music lovers alike.

The festival, which runs every year on Otago Anniversary Weekend (March 21-23), means locals and visitors to Ōamaru will hear live music in bars and on street corners across the three days.

About 40 acts - a mix of soloists, duos, trios and groups - both visiting and local, will be showcasing their talent.

Festival organising committee treasurer Paula Gray says across the 10 years, the festival has changed from one that was almost being propped up by local musicians, to one that now draws musical acts from across the country who want to come back every year.

“Our local bands have been absolutely amazing over the years and without them I don't think there would have been a festival to be honest, because they have supported it in the past when it needed to be supported - especially doing gigs for free for fundraisers and that sort of thing - they've been amazing,” she says.

Regular out-of-town favourites such as Paul Ubana Jones, Jimi Kara, Dr Blue and the Ellesmere Big Band are among those back for another go, while one of the new local bands, Hot Mess, has only performed a handful of times.

Hot Mess bass guitarist Jay Morriss is excited about the festival.

“It's a great opportunity to wander down the historic part of Ōamaru, music emanating from all the alleyways, starting from mid-morning to late evening,” he says. 

“As a musician, it's a really supportive and welcoming environment.

“It's a great chance to catch up with musicians from past events, meet new ones, and I think it's generally pretty inspiring really, just to see the music. And I think it's really nice being able to play in your hometown or your community.”

A Jam Night at the Penguin Club on the Friday night offers the chance for different musicians to play together, Jay says.

“It’s a great time to maybe see collaborations you wouldn’t normally. And I think most of the musicians that are there, you know, really welcome people just coming up and having a talk if they want to do that.”

Two staple events on the weekend itinerary are the Talent Quest and the Grand Finale.

The Talent Quest is on the Saturday, on the Harbour St main stage, with more than $2000 worth of prizes to win, the main one being a recording session at Kurow’s Sublime Studios.

The competition is open to individuals and bands of all ages, and there are even prizes for the best air instrument playing and best “jazz hands” impression.

Festival favourite Paul Ubana Jones is returning for another jam. Photo: Supplied/Dave Boyle

Sunday night’s Grand Finale has a theme this year of Old Hollywood Glamour, and with a burlesque show as part of the night’s entertainment, it promises to be one to remember.

The night is being held in the Loan & Merc building, and begins with a two-course meal. 

Paula says the food is followed by performances from Burlesk Dunedin's Jersey Rhein and Verona Vega, plus Christchurch-based artists Bonita Dangerdoll and Amy Leigh.

Guitarist extraordinaire Jimi Kara from Auckland will follow the burlesque acts, and then local and loved covers band Dee May and the Saints, who formed especially for the jazz festival back in 2015, will round out the night.

The band was formed when drummer Rowan Park approached Mark Renalson (bass) and Deirdre McNulty (vocals) to form a band for the 2015 festival. 

After recruiting a few more band members, and learning 12 songs in 8 weeks, the band was given the thumbs up by organisers and included in the festival.

“We had a ball, and the feedback was tremendous - so we couldn't stop there,” Deirdre says.

What started as a potential one-off performance has turned into 10 years of gigs.

“The Harbour Street Jazz and Blues Festival was where it all began and is our favourite gig of the year,” she says. 

“We love the energy, buzz and vibe the audiences bring to this event, making our performances extra special.” 

Tickets for the grand finale are available online, at Rose’s General Store and if there are still some left by the weekend, can also be bought from festival headquarters in the Grainstore on Harbour Street, Paula says.

The event usually sells out, and as the only gig with a cover-charge, it is the festival’s major fundraiser.

All the bands who attend the festival are paid, but a number of the local bands have performed in the past for free, especially for fundraising events, Paula says.

“We do fundraising events throughout the year, because we try not to just rely on funding but, of course, the funding is really important to us, and our sponsors are extremely important to us.”

People can also pay $25 to become a member, which comes with discounts to certain events, and helps with the costs of holding the event.

The committee is made up of dedicated volunteers who come with a range of skills, “which is really fantastic”, she says.

“They're all well-skilled in different areas that we require. So, yeah, a great committee.”

Free workshops are another feature of the weekend, offering free tips on guitar playing, songwriting, singing, and swing dancing and even using effects pedals.

Early registration is encouraged for these events to secure a spot.

“The headquarters on Harbour St over the weekend is an important place for people to find out information, and the programmes will be there,” Paula says.

The headquarters is open from 10am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday. All event information can also be found online at harbourstreetfestival.com

The Harbour Street Jazz and Blues Festival is one of the busiest weekends in Ōamaru's calendar. Photo: Supplied/Dave Boyle