IN THE lead-up to one of the Rose City's biggest events, we chatted to just one of the volunteers who brings it to life.

MICHAEL Dwan has been involved with Jumpers and Jazz for five years, since starting work with Warwick Tourism and Events.

He has carried on with the festival as a volunteer and is this year looking forward to what the committee has in store.

"Early on I was involved from a marketing and advertising perspective and have in the past couple of years gone more toward the operational side of things, like organising street closures,” Michael said.

"I was still a kid when Jumpers and Jazz first started and it's definitely something of huge interest now, but even then it was a very different feel as Warwick went from being a quiet little place to having heaps of trees decorated.

"It's been around for 14 years but even in the past five years I've been involved it's grown significantly.

"The most rewarding part for me - and this is something touched on at the program launch - is the festival is now its own body, so to see it go from being a project of a company that had 12 to15 projects on the go to being its own group.”

Now its own entity, Jumpers and Jazz is fully supported by the community and a team of hard-working volunteers.

"Its been amazing to be involved with the festival and everyone who helps make it a reality,” Michael said.

"This team is by far the strongest team the festival has ever seen and it's been amazing to see how many locals have truly embraced the event.

"It's great to see how more locals have joined in and embraced it over the years and more business get behind it.

"It gives it the feeling that the festival truly belongs to the community.”

With this year's Jumpers and Jazz just weeks away, Michael said there were a few exciting changes in store.

One addition to the program is the Saturday Jazz Lounge on the last day of the festival.

"We will have the jazz lounge set up in the Town Hall on the 29th, which has taken over from the Stroll and Swing event,” Michael said.

"In my few years of involvement there hasn't been a bigger sit down concert-type event so at this one people are able to come inside into the warmth and sit up in the tiered seating or bring a picnic rug and set up on the floor to watch all the jazz acts.

"It's just $5 entry for the whole session from 9.30am to 4pm and people can come and go as they please after that.

"They can stay and have some Stanthorpe cheese and some wine or they can go off and have lunch at any of the cafes and come back.”

Michael said the organising committee was at the "pointy end” of preparation for Jumpers and Jazz in 2017, and everything was on track to deliver another great festival.

"In terms of marketing, we've set up everything we can get done to get the word out about the festival,” he said.

"We still have tickets available to all of our ticketed events and we still have spaces for the RACQ Grand Automobile Display on the first Sunday for anyone who might have a gem of a car they'd like to show.”

As a long-time volunteer, Michael has also been involved with other events like Southern Downs Relay for Life.

He said town pride was an important factor in contributing to community events.

"It's nice to see Warwick thrive and become a busy regional hub,” Michael said.

"It's wonderful to see it flourish from a quirky idea all those years ago to a festival with 30 traders in main street alone and businesses and community coming together to all enjoy one thing.

"We even see people dancing on the footpath from time to time and it's a lovely thing to see people get so much enjoyment from the festival.”

Jumpers and Jazz in July runs from July 20 to 30, with the tree jumper exhibition to run through the entire festival.

For more information, pop into Warwick Art Gallery on to pick up an official program or check out jumpersandjazz.com

For more on Jumpers and Jazz, go to page 16.