RockyGrass celebrates milestone 50th year with incredible lineup

Jul. 28—RockyGrass — Lyons's ultimate celebration of bluegrass — is turning half a century old and promises three days of nonstop music, tubing in the Saint Vrain River, campground jams and more starting on Friday and stretching into Sunday.

"It's really incredible," said Grace Barrett, director of communications for Planet Bluegrass. "I grew up coming to RockyGrass, and even that only takes up a fraction of its history. Fifty years is a huge achievement in the music industry. This anniversary says a lot about the community surrounding the festival and how committed they are to this music."

The festival sold out earlier this week. A three-day festival pass retailed for $195, and individual day passes were $85. Those who missed out may still be able to secure tickets by visiting festivarian.com, Planet Bluegrass's online forum where tickets can be bought and sold by fans.

"It's an honor to be part of an event that has such a rich history and dedicated fanbase," Barrett said. "We wouldn't be where we are without our 'Festivarians.'"

This year's lineup features exceptional pickers that have contributed immensely to the genre, as well as rising talent. Sam Bush, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Punch Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Hawktail, Del McCoury, Pete Rowan's Bluegrass Band, The Wildmans and many more will take the stage this weekend.

In the days leading up to the festival, Planet Bluegrass has already been filled with song. Its immensely popular RockyGrass Academy pairs professional creatives with players of all levels looking to excel musically. From songwriting workshops to collective pickin' sessions and music history classes, the amount of options provided is vast.

"The academy really sets the tone for RockyGrass," Barrett said. "Everyone is so excited to be learning the craft from their musical heroes. It's a friendly, energetic and welcoming space."

The one-on-one attention given to students from such accomplished musicians is a rare gift, treasured by many.

"We love that we're able to provide these experiences," Barrett said. "Education is one of the things we can put energy into now that will impact the future of RockyGrass and hopefully ensure that we are able to celebrate our 75th anniversary and beyond."

Teaching at RockyGrass Academy this year is banjoist Tray Wellington, a musician who in 2019 — before he had reached 21 years of age — was named "Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year" at the International Bluegrass Music Awards.

"The most rewarding part of the RockyGrass Academy is the genuine interest in learning from the students," Wellington said. "Almost all the students I've ran across want to grow and learn as much as they can on the instrument, and that's super inspiring to watch."

Wellington was immediately intrigued by the banjo when he heard it for the first time as a child.

"The song was 'Salt Creek,'" Wellington said. "I believe what hooked me was the difference of the sound. As a kid, I was always interested in unique things so I think that sound at that time in my life resonated with me."

After his teaching duties wrap, Wellington will take the stage on Saturday with his band.

"I'm looking forward to playing music I love with some of my friends and sharing our art with a new set of people that may have never heard it," Wellington said. "I'm excited for Jake Blount and Tatiana Hargreaves, Darrell Scott, Hawktail, Hot Rize, Big Richard and Sam Bush."

Hot Rize formed in Boulder in 1978, but by the '80s had already reached international acclaim.

For fans, seeing Hot Rize return to the RockyGrass stage is much welcomed. The last time the group played together was for the band's 40th anniversary shows at Boulder Theater in January 2019.

"We feel such a deep connection to RockyGrass because of our long history there in Lyons, our long connection to Planet Bluegrass and Telluride and also because we played at the original bluegrass festival that became RockyGrass, the one launched by Bill Monroe at the Adams County Fairgrounds," said Nick Forster, member of Hot Rize and founder of eTown Radio and Hall.

Attendees can expect to hear a range of well-known tracks from the band's extensive catalog.

"We've written and recorded a lot of songs," Forster said. "Some of those — Tim's (O'Brien)

song 'Walk the way the Wind Blows' and Pete's (Wernick) 'Just Like You'— have become standards. After talking with Craig Ferguson (president at Planet Bluegrass), we all agreed to focus on our songs, to focus on bluegrass and let our coming together as Hot Rize again stand on its own."

Hot Rize will perform on Sunday, but it isn't unlikely to catch Forster and bandmates joining in on some improvisational jams on festival grounds.

"RockyGrass is a really special festival," Forster said. "It's an incredible lineup, but the scale is perfect — not too crowded, everybody feels connected and close, the parking lot picking is exceptional, and it just feels good."

Attendees can also look forward to special offerings that provide a look back at the last five decades of incredible music making and artistic collaboration.

"We will have a 50th 'retrospective' workshop in the Wildflower Pavilion with a whole bunch of folks including writer John Lehndorff, as well as a special 50th anniversary tent in Harmony Greene, our sponsor area," Barrett said.

Taking the stage for the first time at RockyGrass will be all-female super group Big Richard. Members Bonnie Sims, Eve Panning, Emma Rose Finders and Joy Adams made their debut at Colorado's McAwesome Festival in May 2021.

"We are honored to be part of such a landmark year, and we're excited to see some of our all-time favorites Hot Rize, Sam Bush and Del (McCoury)," Sims said.

Big Richard entertained crowds at Telluride Bluegrass festival in June at Planet Bluegrass's other picturesque venue. With goosebump-inducing harmonies and exceptional musicianship, the quartet has quickly become a much-loved act, both locally and outside of Colorado.

"Really excited to see the Uncle Earl set," Sims said. "I've known KC Groves for years and years, but I've only seen Uncle Earl twice. Pumped to see their set."

While Sims has played the Lyons location of Planet Bluegrass with different incarnations, she is enthused to be taking the stage with her powerhouse group on Saturday.

"Planet Bluegrass feels like our musical home, they've been such incredible champions of Big Richard," Sims said. "Especially after playing Telluride last month, I feel like our set in Lyons is gonna feel like such a wonderful homecoming."

To learn more, visit RockyGrass.com.