For the first time in 22 years, sounds from the Syracuse Jazz Fest filled Clinton Square, and despite having only a few months to plan it, Frank Malfianto said it was still a success.

“It accomplished everything we wanted it to. On Thursday opening night, we had 20 bands playing around 20 clubs in bars and restaurants in downtown Syracuse. They were all packed to capacity. People were smiling. The city was alive. There was a vibe. It was tremendous,” said Frank Malfitano, founder and executive producer of the Jazz Fest.

The festival had not taken place since 2017. It used to set up on the hill of Onondaga Community College campus.

Malfitano said he was happy to be back in Clinton Square.

“I hope we can stay. I think it’s a great fit. A little hot out here on the weekend, but it cooled down at night and the music was great and the crowds were fantastic. We probably had about 25,000, 26,000 people here this year,” Malfitano said.

The jazz festival typically takes a year of planning, but this year, they only had three months.

“But we were able to pull it off," Malfitano said. "We have a really good production team, a really good operations team, a really good special events logistics team. All the city departments helped us out, the parks department, the police department. All things came together. The restaurants were tremendous partners for us this year, the musicians couldn’t have been more accommodating."

Malfitano said without the state, city and county governments, as well as Amazon, which sponsored the event, they wouldn’t have been able to bring the festival back this year.

“We’re very grateful to them. We hope they all want to do it again. If they do, we’ll be ready. I just need a little rest,” Malfitano quipped.