The festival has been expanded into a two-day event, with a total of nine performers entertaining at Welland's market square tomorrow and Sunday.

It's just the beginning for a festival that will hopefully span a week or more in the future, said Joe Rucci, of the Niagara Blues and Jazz Society, the group responsible for organizing the event.

"The whole purpose of the Niagara Blues and Jazz Society was to put on a major festival," said Rucci.

The group came together five years ago and held the inaugural festival last year. Despite poor weather and little promotion, 400 people still came to enjoy the music.

This year 1,000 attendees are expected, said Rucci.

"We plan to grow this hopefully into a 10-day festival, like Ottawa Bluesfest or the Montreal Jazz Festival," he said. "We want to be in the same calibre as those festivals."

Performers this year include Little Miss Higgins, who is flying in from Edmonton to perform and is creating a steady buzz in Canada's jazz scene, said Rucci.

"She's creating quite a stir," he said.

Another can't-miss performance will be that of Sophia Perlman, "one of the hottest new jazz singers in Canada," said Rucci.

"She's awesome."

Other notables include Pat Carey and Jack DeKeyzer. The festival will also include a tribute to the three Kings of jazz: Freddie, Albert and B.B.

"The whole weekend is jam-packed," said Rucci.

The festival includes banquet-style seating for a "classier" feel, he added. Tickets are $15 for the Saturday show, which has four performers, and $20 for the Sunday show, which has five performers.

A weekend pass is also available for $25, said Rucci. Tickets are sold at the gate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Rucci is hoping for a successful festival to cap off a challenging summer for Welland's Downtown Summer Music Series.

Rain constantly poured on performers during the continuous Saturday night shows, but the finale, an IlluminAqua show with headliner Duke Robillard, was great, he said.

"The show was well-attended, well-appreciated and we believe the response we've been getting through the festival is very good," said Rucci.

The festival is mainly sponsored by Niagara production company Live on Request. A donation bin for The Hope Centre will also be at the event.

The first show is at 3 p.m. tomorrow. For a full schedule visit www.niagarabluesandjazz.com.