ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Friday afternoon, the CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival kicked off with the first of more than 300 performances set to take place..

News10NBC Hailie Higgins got in on the fun on Gibbs Street — except for the next nine days, it will be called “Jazz Street.”

The organizers and staff have spent more than 20 years planning and perfecting each iteration of the festival. The first festival was in 2002, and Aretha Franklin made an appearance.

This year, Jazz aficionados can look forward to musical acts from Taj Mahal, Lee Ritnour Band, Laufey, John Oates, Samara Joy, and more.

News10NBC caught up with a producer and cofounder of the festival, Marc Iacona, on Thursday. For our full live interview with Marc, click here.

We checked back in with Marc just as the festival was kicking off for the first day on Friday. That full interview can be viewed through the video player at the top of this story.