Evergreen festival offers hands-on tech training, education funds for teens

By Jay McKinney

There’s an abundance of music festivals throughout Colorado during the summer but few can tout themselves as educational experiences, too. Mountain Music Fest in Evergreen is returning for its second year on Saturday, Aug. 16, and it offers far more than just the music.

While the festival will feature an assortment of talented local and touring artists, it also involves student engagement and serves as a hands-on learning opportunity. Also, proceeds from the festival will go to the Wooden Hawk Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in Evergreen in 2023 with a mission to enhance education in the mountain community.

“Through the festival, students take the lead in everything from marketing and ticketing to stage production, sound, and lighting — even performing on stage,” says Michele Vanags, Wooden Hawk Foundation chair. “It’s an opportunity for them to gain real-world skills while expressing their creativity and leadership.”

The event starts at noon and will continue until 9 p.m. The talented lineup of musicians kicks off with Non-Prophet, a band of students from the Morrison and Conifer area who will perform from 12 to 12:30 p.m. After that, each artist will perform for 45 minutes with breaks of 45 minutes between artists.

Starting at 1:15 p.m., the Hand Turkey Band will get the crowd dancing with its fresh take on classic funk, soul and pop. It will be a homecoming performance as lead singer Andy Seracuse was a graduate of Evergreen High School. Other artists include the Colorado-based bands Dominick Leslie and the Leslies, YAN YEZ and Flobots, with each bringing a distinct style and musical genre.

Leslie is an Evergreen native and mandolinist specializing in American roots music while YAN YEZ is a Denver-based indie post-pop band, described as both raw and polished. People looking to dance to some hip-hop will want to be near the stage when Flobots goes on at 5:45 p.m.

As for talent outside of Colorado, festival attendees will get to see Christie Huff perform. The country and pop singer splits her time between Los Angeles and Nashville and has frequently performed on the Ty Bentli Show and Whiskey Jam.

Headlining the evening, the Sam Grisman Project will perform alongside The Leslies.

Grisman is a bassist whose music honors his father, David “Dawg” Grisman, and David’s frequent collaborator Jerry Garcia. The entire evening is sure to be a great time, and The Sam Grisman Project will cap it off properly.

The Mountain Music Fest is $25 for advance tickets, and $30 at the door. Children aged 6 to 18 can attend for $10, and children under 6 have free admission. In addition to the live music, the festival will include other carnival-like activities, food and drinks.