For many, Memorial Day Weekend signifies the kick-off to summer. One of the most iconic events in Colorado Springs during that weekend is the annual MeadowGrass Music Festival. Hosted by Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative, the festival provides an environment for those of all ages and musical tastes.
Nicole Nicoletta is the Executive Director for Rocky Mountain Highway. “The purpose of the organization is to build community through live music,” she said.
Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative works with musicians and other organizations to bring four festivals to the Colorado Springs area each year. “We bring tourism to the area,” Nicoletta said. “The MeadowGrass festival is considered the premiere kick-off to summer in the Pikes Peak region.”
Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative
According to their website https://rockymountainhighway.org, the organization creates passionate support for, and awareness of, live music by engaging funders, sponsors, and volunteers to support artists and their music. They strive to encourage young musicians to share their talent with the community.
Nicoletta explained the first MeadowGrass festival was held in 2009 in partnership with Pikes Peak Community Foundation. It served as a fundraiser for LaForet Conference and Retreat Center. In 2013, Rocky Mountain Highway gained non-profit status and continued presenting the annual event.
Nicoletta initially became involved with the organization in 2013 as a volunteer. She was hired as the Executive Director in 2019. “I’m the only employee,” she said. “Essentially I do everything that’s boots on the ground.”
Her responsibilities include all the event planning, management of the volunteers, fundraising, sponsor relations, and more. The many volunteers, she said, are what keep the events happening. “We love and appreciate our volunteers so much,” she added. “They are the lifeblood of our organization in order to make the events happen. I have the best volunteer coordinator on the planet. I couldn’t do this without her.”
MeadowGrass Music Festival
This year marks the 13th anniversary of the annual three-day event. Consistently held at LaForet in the Black Forest, the festival is a stage for national, regional, and local artists. Many of them are up and coming up while others are just breaking onto the bigger performance scene.
The festival has been known to stage an array of musical talent from a number of genres. The Friday lineup includes local band Jon E Boothe & The Nightwatch in addition to headliner Ranky Tanky, winner of the 2019 Grammy for Best Regional Roots Album. Local singer/songwriter Curtis Boucher takes the stage on Saturday along with headliner Darlingside, an award-winning indie-folk quartet. Craig Walter has been a long-time fixture of the Colorado Springs music scene. He will perform on Sunday along with Marc Broussard, the headliner who plays blues and rock with Louisiana influences.
Nicoletta explained artists from a wide range of genres are selected based on original work as well as input from local musicians and music professionals. “One of our criteria for talent is that one-third are local, one-third are regional and the other one-third are national,” she explained.
Over the course of the weekend, Nicoletta said the festival is host to close to 2,000 attendees. Most are from the Colorado region but others come from all over the country. She said some 200 volunteers fill 380 different shifts during the event.
According to the website https://meadowgrass.org, “The mission is to bring world-class musical talent to perform in the Pikes Peak region alongside local and regional performers, in a family-friendly environment.”
Something for Everyone
While music is the main draw to the event, other activities are held to entertain those of all ages. The LaForet property consists of acres of forests, canyons, and historic buildings for those to walk and explore. The Faricy Boys kids’ zone, sponsored by Faricy Boys Jeep and Chrysler dealership, provides weekend-long activities for the younger event-goers. Activities for teens are also available as well as displays and sales from local vendors.
Saturday and Sunday morning yoga with live music is led by Root Center for Yoga and Sacred Studies. A beer festival is held on Friday with tastings from 10 breweries. The price is included in the Friday single day or weekend pass. A VIP experience ticket is offered all weekend and includes a catered event, whiskey, wine tasting, and much more. There is a late-night show performed by a local band and overnight camping is available.
Ticket and Schedule Information
For tickets, go to Http://Rockymountainhighway.com
Single-day and weekend tickets are available. Ticket prices are discounted for military, healthcare, and responder personnel as well as teachers. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.
For concert line-up and additional information, access the QR code below.
