If you think the Georgian Sound Festival appeals to only the elders among us, think again.

You had only to watch the members of the Toronto All-Star Band or the Capital Dance crew to see that, while the music may be 50, 60, even 80 years old, its appeal crosses generations.

Take Aaron Mulkin and Chachi, both in their early 30s, from Toronto's Capital Dance Productions, who impressed the crowd with their dance steps at Big Band Saturday. The troupe does demonstration and performance  dances ranging from the Charleston to the jitterbug, or the Lindy hop. They're partnered with the Swing and Tap Academy.

Chachi, the group's leader, says his introduction was actually through square dancing. When he was 18, he saw a square dance in a park, one day, and wanted to try it. A friend thought if he liked that, he might want to try swing dancing, too. The friend was right, and Chachi has been dancing to swing, big band and jazz ever since.

Mulkin had a more direct influence.

"It was music that my father listened to when I was growing up," said Mulkin, "In university I went to a swing dance and I had such a good time I haven't stopped. It's so much fun."

Members of the troupe range from early 20s to early 30s, but some started as teenagers.

In Toronto, Chachi says, the variety of jazz and swing clubs means there are lots of places to dance and it's really not a hard sell to get younger people interested in older music.

The presence of youth is no more apparent than in the Toronto All-Stars, a band of high school-age musicians who have become popular as much for injecting their youthful energy into the music as for their strong musicial talents.

You could also find younger players amid the more mature musicians in the George Lake Big Band, who made their first appearance at the local festival, and the hosts Georgian Sound Big Band.

The youth movement is evident in the audience, too, where there seem to be more and more younger people attending the Big Band event every year.

The weekend opened with Jazzmania, Friday, featuring 10 bands playing at venues in Thornbury and Clarksburg. Venues ranged from the Marsh Street Centre to restaurants such as Sisi, Largo, The Dam Pub, The Mill Cafe, Bridges, Sterio's, Pipers. There was even jazz in an art gallery, Clarksburg's Loft Gallery, and in the L.E. Shore Library where Beaver Valley Outreach offered Java Jazz.

The styles varied, too, from modern jazz to Dixieland.

Sunday's agenda opened with a jazz brunch at Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay. In the afternoon, there was Gospelfest, featuring Sharon Riley and Faith Chorale as well as the GBSS Jazz Ensemble.

Plans are already under way for the 2009 festival and line-ups, dates and other information will be announced later this year.