Thank you for a fun festival in 2026!
We have had some incredible talent over the years, and 2026 was no exception!
The Sullivan Sisters and their band certainly wowed the audience! We were so fortunate to catch them early in their up and coming music career. Keep an eye out for their continued success and new music releases!
Other highlights included Gasoline Lollipops on Friday Night, with the setting sun behind them and loyal fans dancing at the foot of the stage. SnowyGrass has a tradition of including roots bands that are outside of the bluegrass tradition, and Gas Pops were a perfect addition.
Bruce Molsky has had a standing invitation at SnowyGrass since 2023, and always brings incredible guests with him. This year Stash Wyslouch joined him, moving seamlessly from traditional old time into genre bending renditions, and back again.
Blue Canyon Boys always bring great energy to the stage! That is why they are invited back year after year. Beyond the sharp suits are dialed-in harmonies and thoughtful songwriting, always presented with a high level of skill without taking themselves too seriously. Congratulations to Jason Hicks on placing 3rd in the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Troubadour Contest this month!
Yoseff Tucker and Caleb Roberts of The Bow Ties, from the Bay Area, created a whole new band with esteemed Colorado musicians, Sally Van Meter, Chris (C-Bob) Elliot, and Eric Thorin to form Yoseff Tucker & The Ascots. This all-star band performed 2 sets with sweet harmonies, including a gospel set on Sunday.
Silas Herman & the Tone Unit were so much fun with incredible jam segments, and had the audience up on their feet to close out the main stage on Sunday.
We also enjoyed performances by Ragged Union, Friendly Reminders, Dave Richey and Jordan Ramsey, Mighty Holler, and Lost Penny
Late Night, Acoustic Sets
In 2025, in the middle of the Blue Canyon Boys set, we experienced the sudden onset of a lightning and hail storm, making it imperative that they exit the stage in haste! Bruce Molsky and Tony Trischka were scheduled to play next, but the downpour put a stop to any further performance that evening -- yet, at the recommendation of Jason Hicks of Blue Canyon Boys, we pivoted to the Bluebird Shelter -- unplugged. BCB finished their set, and Bruce and Stash played a full, 90-minute set to an attentive audience. It was said to be one of the most special moments at the fest.
In 2026, we built in these special acoustic performances into the schedule for each night. The audience cozied up together to watch the Sullivan Sisters duo, Bruce & Stash, and Blue Canyon Boys, and were able to personally engage with the performers.
Workshops
Pete and Joan Wernick brought their jam class back to SnowyGrass to prepare musicians for how to thoughtfully jam in a group. These skills will serve their students well for years to come as they join in jams in their local areas. Some of the topics covered make good life skills, as well, as they cover topics like listening to others and other topics of jam etiquette and musicianship.
Bruce and Stash led workshops on fiddle and guitar, respectively, as well as one on playing old time, but stretching those old time tunes into other genres.
Attendees of the Blue Canyon Boys harmony workshop took home tips on how to layer harmonies in bluegrass, which is one of the most distinguished aspects of playing and singing bluegrass music. We can thank Taharaa Mountain Lodge and Twin Owls Steak House for their specific sponsorship to make this workshop possible!
Big Thanks to our Volunteer Staff!
Our festival would not be possible without our fantastic volunteer staff! Each and every volunteer goes above and beyond what is "assigned", and it shows!
There were about 40 volunteers with about 115 shifts of from 1-4 hours each. These volunteers took special care of our artists, but also of our guests with special needs. One such guest, in her 70's, expressed that it was 'the best festival she's been to', and emphasized that she has been to a lot of festivals and was a professional singer, who put her daughters (who were accompanying her) through school that way. Why did she like our festival so much? The positive energy and the care that was shown to her regarding mobility needs. Our volunteers were ready on radios to call in a ride on the RZR. All volunteers were attentive to the needs of others. Volunteers at each station were equipped with radios, and Sean McFarland and Doc were at the ready with rides at all times!
A special thanks to Doc and Joyce Whan for providing a welcoming green room experience for artists. Their RV area with snacks and jams and provided one of the best hospitality artists can have!
Big thanks to Jenine Abarbanel, Cale Scheinbaum, Neil Smart, Colleen Murphy, Wendy Easterling, and Erin Dahlby for leadership roles. Each and every volunteer brought something special to the festival! (Check out their fun photos on the home page at www.snowygrass.org
Sponsors
We are so grateful to our sponsors and donor for supporting this community event through cash contributions and in kind donations. Because of our sponsors, we donated many tickets to folks in the community who could not otherwise afford to attend.
You all put a lot of faith in us to build community! We are so proud to display your banners and give you shout outs!
RiverPointe Vacation Condos was our Presenting Sponsor and made a significant cash contribution as well as a giveaway to our Open Mic winner, Sean McFarland!
Luxury condominiums were provided for our traveling artists by Estes Park Condos, which is no small contribution in the Summer in Estes Park!
Catering was generously donated by Lonigan's / Himalayan Curry & Kebob / The Hive, Poppy's Pizza, La Colina at Trailhead Lodge, Village Bagels, OZO Coffee, You Need Pie Cafe, Safeway, and Whole Foods.
Many thanks to Earthwood Collections, KGNU, Bird & Jim, Taharaa Mountain Lodge and Twin Owls Steak House, Village Bagels, Country Market, Wildside 4x4, Abbott & Wallace Distillery, Snowy Peaks Winery, Rams Horn Village, Visit Estes Park, Richardson Team Realty, Tailwater Instruments, Tomorrow Homes, Estes Park News, Estes Arts District, North Peak Media, Rocky Mountain Channel, Bank of Colorado, Rocky Mountain Dumpsters, Patterson Glassworks, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and Murphy's Resort.
Please see our sponsors on our home page: https://www.snowygrass.org/
Was SnowyGrass 2026 "Successful"?
We had a "successful" festival in the sense of having a GREAT lineup, FANTASTIC volunteers who made things run smoothly, some of the BEST hospitality for our artists, and beautiful, panoramic views!
That being said, we did not choose the best possible weekend to hold the festival.
Holding the festival at a public park means that we can be limited to available dates. Our first choice, based on a survey, was the last weekend in June. The Bluebird Shelter, which is essential to our functionality, was already reserved. Our 2nd choice was a different weekend in July, but that was not available either. It came to our attention, after July 9-12 was chose, that it coincided with the Rooftop Rodeo.
You may have noticed we have tried different weekends at times, trying to find that sweet spot. There is always going to be a festival that coincides. We wanted to avoid being at the same time as High Mountain Hay Fever and Rusted Roots, but unfortunately, that was the weekend available. That hurt us.
We always want to avoid the same weekends as RockyGrass and Folks Fest. There are very few viable weekends to choose from. To be honest, we lost a LOT of our usual attendance to other events this year. Even folks who live in Estes Park attended other events in other to. This kind of loss can make or break small festivals.
Our small festival relies on substantial sponsorship to cover the initial costs of venue, liability insurance, production and artist deposits, and more. As seen above, the amount of support from the local community is already significant. The rest of expenses MUST be covered by ticket sales.
While we did have a SUPER FUN time this year, because of low ticket sales, many expenses must be covered by our festival producer, Nadine, personally. In the past, festival revenue could cover her for her work in a nominal way (no excessive income, by any means!) In 2026, she will personally be responsible for covering a loan taken out to fund expenses for 2026 while working at jobs like elder care, website design, pet sitting, and whatever else. Truly it has been a labor of love over the years.
So much good has come from this little festival. Many people have gotten their first taste of Bluegrass and the jam circle culture at SnowyGrass. A family of volunteers has developed. Connections have been made that will last a lifetime. There is a documentary about this special festival that highlights the tradition of Bluegrass in general. Most communities in Colorado do host some sort of Bluegrass festival, or at least one that includes it.
What about 2027?
Before considering a 2027 festival, a loan for 2026 MUST be paid.
For the small number of people who attend, it is a very special event, that core group of repeat attendees, including volunteers, would love for it to continue. So would I. But the truth is, I am in a very precarious position this year to pay off the expenses of 2026.
Big thanks to those who have already donating along with their ticket purchases!
Several people who purchased ticket added on a donation at checkout. This was appreciated!
Will you consider making a donation to help us pay off the loan for 2026? This is the only way we can even think about regrouping for 2027.
This is from me -- Nadine.
I regularly receive heartfelt words of appreciation for "giving to the community". I never do this alone. It is with the support of everyone named above, plus many not named. At the same time, I am a little scared that I will not be able to sustain this outreach, as I am not independently wealthy. Having a loan hanging over me is quite stressful.
Please consider helping the festival catch up for 2026 so that I am now solely, personally responsible to pay off a loan.
The goal is to raise $10,000. The loan was $18,000.
Our fiscal sponsor is Chase the Music. If you need a receipt for a donation from a 501c3, then that is who you would make donations to on our behalf. Please specify that your donation of for SnowyGrass!
If a receipt is not necessary, you can donate directly to SnowyGrass by following this link:
Please contact Nadine at snowygrassfest@gmail.com if you would like to donate by check.
Thank you!
Nadine
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