By SALINA POST
The SM Hanson Music Festival Jam is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Established in 1985 by Steve and Rick Hanson, the event has grown from a simple idea to one of the most anticipated nights of the Smoky Hill River Festival, showcasing local and regional talent on a professional stage.
Band applications now open
Bands comprising three or more members are invited to apply for a performance slot at this year’s festival jam, scheduled for Thursday, June 12.
To apply, bands should email [email protected] to initiate the application process. According to Rick Hanson, owner of SM Hanson Music, the initial email sets up a file for the band.
“I will respond with a reply that includes some documents for them to fill out and a list of things to check off,” Hanson said.
Band entry opened on March 15, and applications must be submitted by April 23.
History of SM Hanson Festival Jam
The idea for festival jam came about from a conversation between Steve and his son Rick Hanson in 1985 when they were looking for ways to involve more local musicians in the Smoky Hill River Festival. At that time, the Smoky Hill River Festival had been running for nearly a decade.
“My dad and I were talking about how we could get more local musicians involved,” Rick Hanson said. “My suggestion was that we could do this showcase kind of thing—run the stage and give local bands a chance to perform.
Hanson said the sound system had to be set up on Thursday night for the Smoky Hill River Festival to use the stage at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.
"This was a way of them getting the sound system up and getting four hours to check everything out on the sound system," Hanson said. "So the Jam started out as sort of a four hour sound check that didn't cost the festival organizers."
The first year featured 24 bands performing back-to-back, stretching well into the night until law enforcement stepped in and asked the event to wrap up.
“The police asked us to shut down, and that’s when we standardized on 16 bands,” Hanson said.
Since then, the event has maintained a lineup of 16 bands, with an additional spot reserved for a young or emerging band, often a high school group.
“The last couple of years, we’ve had high school bands take that spot, and they’ve been incredible,” Hanson said.
Festival Jam prioritizes safety while preserving community spirit
Since its inception, Festival Jam has become a beloved community tradition, known for bringing people together to enjoy a variety of local musical acts. Brad Anderson, executive director of Salina Arts and Humanities said the atmosphere on Thursday night of the festival is
“To have 12,000 community members around one stage, kicking off the summer by celebrating a great diversity of sound, is a wonderful way to start the festival," Anderson said.
In recent years, safety planning has become an essential aspect of organizing Festival Jam. Weather disruptions including straight-line winds and lightning in past years have canceled or delayed the event. Anderson told Salina Post festival organizers are developing new communication strategies and emergency protocols.
“We’ve been working with all of our first responders and emergency management on having a predictable plan for unexpected events,” Anderson said. “Last year, we built a system to make announcements from the stages, but when lightning begins striking and the sound providers are protecting their equipment those using the equipment, the power goes off to that stage, and the microphones are no longer available.”
To address this vulnerability, Salina Arts and Humanities purchased multiple megaphones to ensure staff can communicate with the crowd, even if the sound system fails. Additionally, contingency plans include moving attendees to the Tony’s Pizza Events Center if weather conditions demand an evacuation.
“In a nutshell, we are now following city protocols for outdoor events,” Anderson said. “If there’s lightning within a 10-mile radius of Salina, we suspend operations. If it’s just rain, we wouldn’t necessarily close the park, but if there is severe weather or lightning, we suspend all activity until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike."
Even with increased safety measures in place, Anderson emphasized that the goal remains to be safe and still have fun.
“We’re doing our best to balance the tradition of Festival Jam with the responsibility of keeping people safe,” he said. "One of the best moves we made was starting the festival on Thursday night and including the Jam as part of this spectacular weekend.”
A platform for regional talent
The Jam has become a launching pad for local musicians, providing the opportunity to perform on a prominent stage with a professional sound system. Over the years, bands from Kansas and surrounding states have applied for the chance to perform.
“We’ve even had submissions from as far as Colorado and Oklahoma,” Hanson said.
Despite challenges, including weather disruptions like last year’s event being cut short after just a few performances, the show continues to go on, as it has for 40 years. In favorable conditions, the event draws upwards of 12,000 attendees.
“We’ve had years with over 13,000 people,” Hanson said. “People come from all over the state.”
Carrying on the tradition
As the SM Hanson Music Festival Jam marks four decades, it continues to honor the vision of its founders, blending local talent with a community atmosphere.
“It’s an art festival—it’s a music festival, it's a food festival, and a celebration of community,” Hanson said. “ And I really like the music part of it.”
As June 12 approaches check Salina Post for more information about SM Hanson's 40th Festival Jam.