For Festival Fifteen in 1992, COTA specifically honors its life-source, its core of dedicated volunteers, with an essay in the festival program written by Bob Lehr. For those who might not understand what it takes to stage an all-volunteer festival, Lehr's essay provides some specific elicidation regarding those moments volunteers steal from their lives. This year, on the Sunday before festival weekend, Children's Suite, composed and arranged by Phil Woods, is given its world premiere at Brownie's in the Gap. A festival parade on Wednesday night winds its way down Main Street. The Lee Katzman Quintet, with Teddy Charles on vibes, plays on Friday night inside the Deer Head Inn. The Pete Veltri Quintet and the Robert D'Aversa Band appear on festival weekend.

Jerry Harris & Jazz Renaissance are also on the bill, plus the Dave Liebman Group celebrating Coltrane. Phil Woods and Jim McNeely appear as a duo, while Michele Bautier has Kenny Werner on piano.

Walt Whitman is seen lounging on a camp chair up front:
Loafe with me on the grass,
Loose the stop from your throat,
Not words,
Not music or rhyme I want,
Not custom or lecture,
Not even the best,
Only the lull I like,
The hum of your valved voice.