There is no better way to celebrate the country’s independence and the spirit of Colorado than a day of fun and festivities in the Colorado Rockies. For the first time ever, music, parade, food and fireworks will meet in a family environment at the Peak to Peak Music Festival in Nederland, CO, on the Fourth of July. With a long-standing musical heritage and Fourth of July festivities already in place, Nederland is the perfect mountain town for both young and old to celebrate the holiday.
Fireworks and a parade have long been traditions for the holiday in Nederland, but with a full music lineup and a pub crawl added, a new era has begun in the beautiful Peak to Peak region. To celebrate the region’s storied musical history and support such rich local talent, the festival has invited state favorites, including Motorhome, Elephant Revival, Smooth Money Gesture and Jon “BlackDog” Ridnell. Others not from Colorado include Zepparella, Chicago Afro-Beat Project, from Illinois, and Shannon Wurst, from Arkansas. Not limited to music, the work of local artists will be on display and local food and beverages served, making for a fully rounded and family-oriented event.
The festivities kick off at 11 a.m. when lineup for the parade begins at the Jeff Guercio Memorial Ballfield. Those familiar with the parades of past know to expect the unexpected, meaning the parade should be full of surprises and could make one lap, maybe more. By the time the free-to-the-public parade ends, it should be about time for the scheduled 12:30 p.m. opening of the festival gates, where Old Time Dave, the Master of Ceremonies, will call for the first strum of the guitar at 1 p.m.
Chicago Afrobeat Project kicks off the day with their own take on the Afrobeat genre, blending funk, rock, jazz, afro-cuban, high life and juju music into a collage that is irresistible to dancing. Next on the bill is the all-female Zepparella, a California-based Led Zeppelin Tribute band making their Nederland debut and exemplifying beauty, passion, aggression and the musical prowess of the legendary band they salute. Headlining the daytime bill is Motorhome, hailing from Fort Collins and recently named by Colorado Music Buzz as one of the top bands to look out for in 2009.
As the sun falls on the horizon of the Peak to Peak region, fireworks will be prepped for launch into the crisp air above Baker Reservoir in Nederland, and music will begin in the streets. The music doesn’t stop there, with Nederland’s own Elephant Revival playing sets in between acts during the day, then taking their high-energy gypsy and mystic folk jams to Whistler’s Café that night. As the pub crawl continues on into the night, festival-goers can head a few blocks away to catch Smooth Money Gesture at First Street Pub and Grill, which was named by The Mountain-Ear as the “best place to get down.” The music will just keep going on into the night and more information on the schedule will be made available on the festival Web site.
Special thanks and support go out to the Nederland Area Chamber of Commerce, the Flash Friedman Foundation, sponsors of the Fireworks show.
The festival is made possible by the Wild Mountain Smokehouse, Whistler’s Café and many others. For a full list of those making possible the special things that are bound to happen in Nederland on the Fourth of July, please visit the festival Web site. Information on ticket pricing, volunteering, vending, a full list of musicians and information on car-pooling and green initiatives are also available at:
Festival information:
Adult day pass: $15
Adult day and night pass: $25
Adult night pass: $15
Kids under 12-years-old and seniors are FREE!
Group and company rates are available
The parade begins at noon; pub crawl ends at 2 a.m.
