Not Your Typical 137th Birthday Party

Fort Collins will turn 137 years old in style, courtesy of Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest. The 22nd annual installment will take place August 20-22 and will spotlight the best music, food and art the area has to offer. Admission is free, which is normally a fair price for any concert, but in this case it is a downright steal. Event co-producer The Bohemian Foundation has compiled a tantalizing lineup spearheaded by hometown hip-hop heroes the Flobots, funk forefathers Earth, Wind, and Fire and the bluegrass banjo stylings of the legendary Earl Scruggs and Friends. The three headliners, each closing a different night of the festival, will receive support from 60 other regionally-based acts that have been booked to play this massive block party of a show.

The event is billed as Fort Collins’s largest community festival and is easily the largest collection of live music that will hit the city this year. With a specific focus on promoting the best talent Northern Colorado has to offer, this is a can’t-miss affair for scenesters and weekend warriors alike.

“It’s a wonderful destination, location and opportunity to expose new bands and music,” says Bohemian Nights spokeswoman Leah Johnson. “All in all, it’s a terrific time.”

The mission statement is clearly reflected in the lineup’s varied and extensive regional flavor. In addition to The Flobots, the insanely-diverse, all-Colorado undercard also includes Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Motorhome, The Photo Atlas, Candy Claws, SHEL, The Acidophiles, Kinetix and many, many more. The roster is so large that event producers were forced to expand the scope of the festival and include six full stages of music. All of which is to say that local music lovers can experience something new or take in something familiar almost all weekend long, with everything taking place within a matter of blocks.

“A key mission of the show is to showcase everything our community has to offer,” says Fort Collins Downtown Business Association spokeswoman Peggy Lyle. “But there is also an element of trying to bring the ‘new’ to Fort Collins audiences.”

Many upstart acts have benefited from the wide-spanning exposure that Bohemian Nights offers, and arguably the foremost example is Friday night headliner the Flobots. The Denver-based hip-hop sextet played at 2007’s installment of Bohemian Nights, shortly before the release of their breakthrough LP Fight With Tools. Now signed to a major label and touring nationally, the group has certainly come a long way in the three short years since their last appearance at the festival. “It’s a great story for both the Flobots and Bohemian Nights,” notes Johnson.

Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest goes beyond merely having great tunes, however. Lots of other unique attractions will be provided, including a children’s carnival, a Dance Showcase stage, multiple beer gardens and over 300 vendor booths featuring the best in local art and cuisine. Beet Street’s Creative Garden, a new addition to the festivities, will be a fully-landscaped area that will allow concertgoers to leisurely enjoy a variety of art, food and performances as they tread between the show’s more intimate stages. Another great accommodation will be a simulcast of Earth, Wind and Fire’s Saturday night performance. Attendees wanting to avoid the madness of the Mountain Street Stage can watch the performance live from either the Linden Street or Library Park stages.

The event is also striving to be as family-friendly as ever, and in addition to the children’s carnival it will also include a Kids Music Adventure section located in Library Park. The KMA area will feature kid-friendly attractions like the School of Rock museum exhibit and recording artist Doctor Noize, as well as an instrument petting zoo where children can take place in live music workshops.

With the upwards of 120,000 patrons expected to attend the show over the course of the weekend, event organizers are suggesting that everyone plans ahead with transportation. Those planning on driving are strongly encouraged to carpool to minimize traffic, or at least arrive early to avoid it. Even better alternatives are biking or walking, and special bike parking will be available just off the intersection of Remington and Mountain.

Music performances will begin at 6 pm on August 20, with Pep*Squad, the Flobots and a third act yet to be announced, all playing the Linden Street Stage. After Friday’s soft open, the event will then fully expand on Saturday and Sunday, and will be fully open to the public from 10am to 7pm both days. Saturday’s concerts are scheduled to run until 10 pm, but concertgoers should be advised that all other activities and vendor booths will still close at 7pm.

When: August 20 @ 6pm, August 21 & 22 at 10am-7pm, music goes to 10pm
Price: Free
Transportation: Bicycling or walking strongly advised
Headliners: Earth Wind & Fire, Flobots, legendary Earl Scruggs