NEW BUFFALO, Mich. — If you’re a cool cat looking for an out-of-this-world time, look no further than New Buffalo. On Saturday, Nov. 8, the iRock JAZZ Festival is making its inaugural debut, bringing in more than 30 musicians to the city.

The Saturday festival is the brain child of New Buffalo resident and iRock JAZZ Founder/CEO John Moultrie. According to Moultrie, the town of New Buffalo is going to be transformed into various jazz venues when it returns to Harbor Country next week.

“We’re going to convert some of the restaurants within the town and virtually have seven different jazz venues throughout the town,” Moultrie said.

Those venues include Timothy’s, Roma Pizza, New Buffalo Yacht Club, New Buffalo Performing Arts Center, El Rancho Grande, Casey’s, Brewster’s and Bentwood Tavern.

For those into a particular variety of jazz, chances are it will be included in one of the 18 shows the fest will offer.

“Everybody has their perception of jazz,” Moultrie said. “There’s instrumental music, there’s smooth jazz, there’s traditional jazz, there’s experimental jazz. We’ll have a variety of everything.”

Moultrie said the performers, who hail from places like New York, Chicago, Tennessee and Canada, will provide guests who are new to jazz with the chance to discover something they will really enjoy.

“We’re bringing in a group of people reflective of the music and the culture and its diversity,” Moultrie said. “People will get a chance to kind of find their type of music and what they like.”

Moultrie understands the trials and tribulations businesses of a resort community face as the colder weather rolls in and the economic tide begins to turn.

“As soon as the weather changes, what we find is that a lot of the second homeowners go back home. It is hard for business to survive during the off season,” Moultrie said. “This is one of the reasons why I decided to jumpstart at least some part of the activities that will take part in the fall this year.”

It is Moultrie’s goal to entertain the people who are currently in town, and to help cultivate a group of people who will visit New Buffalo in the off-season.

“This is a welcome mat,” Moultrie said. “Supporting this festival means we are supporting the small business owners that stay open during the off-season.”

When asked why New Buffalo was chosen for the festival, Moultrie spoke proudly about the “crown jewel of Harbor Country.”

“At the end of the day, it’s still a jazz festival about music, but more importantly, we’re trying to help create an experience that’s second to none. (We are) providing entertainment in venues of people I consider my friends, in a place I call home,” Moultrie said.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the festival, as well as tickets for a Friday night film screening of “Finding Fela,” a documentary about Nigerian singer Fela Anikulapo Kuti, visit irockjazzfest.com. General admission ticket prices start at $20 and can be purchased online and picked up at the New Buffalo Performing Arts Center.