What to expect at the Planet Bluegrass festivals, including chats with fans
Have you been to a music festival before? The ones run by Lyons’ Planet Bluegrass are unique because they have a river running along one side of it, with tower red sandstone mountains hugging the river line. Here are some tips on what you can expect to enjoy there.
RIVER FUN
Festival goers sit by the river on and off during the entire concert, whether there is an intermission or not. One of the performers said that she saw a “traffic jam of tubers” on the River during last week’s RockyGrass festival which experienced temperatures in the mid-90s. Be prepared, as it will again be in the low 90s for Folks Fest. (Don’t forget to show your wrist band ID)
CRAFT VENDORS:
Many of the vendors at the festival sell items that you might like to wear during the festival! This includes straw hats, or some would say cowboy hats, and of course jewelry, and summer dresses, many in tie-die colors.
I saw a man walking past me with two straw hats on, similar to the Panama hat style, and I caught the attention of his wife who was walking behind him, and I asked if he was wearing both of their hats. She replied “no,” and that they were from the Netherlands, and that you can’t get that kind of hat there, so he bought two, just in case…
FOOD VENDORS:
The two most popular booths seem to be the Gyros/Greek one, and the Sisters Asian food one. And, yes, the food is genuinely ethnically right. You can’t go wrong with a Greek salad, or gyros with a mound of extra feta cheese, please. And the dumplings and won tons are to die for. The biggest plates served may be the nachos one, located on the corner of the “food walk.” And, yes, you can get a great ice cream cone!
Sisters Pantry had a commercial facility in Lyons back in 2013, and it was down due to the flooding. At the end of September, they were at the Boulder Farmers’ Market selling frozen bags of dumplings to cook at home. They donated 100% of their total sales from the fundraiser – donating $1,123 to Lyons Community Foundation/Flood Relief and $1,124 to the Foothills Fund for a total of $2,247.
RECYCLING
The “Leave No Trace” ethic defines Planet Bluegrass as a leader in Sustainable Festivation since 2003. They even have vendors serving food on china plates with real cutlery. Teen volunteers attend the recycle booths that are easily accessible throughout the grounds, and they do help you decide which bin to put the waste in. They take pride in their work. Even the porta potty company (Portable Restroom Solutions, Ft. Collins) had a supervisor in attendance all weekend (even staying in the campground) to make sure everyone enjoyed the cleanest ones around.
WILDFLOWER PAVILION
The week prior to the weekend festival, Planet Bluegrass has a week long Academy teaching “everything music.” And during the festivals many of the newcomers perform and/or compete at the Wildflower Pavilion stage (some previous students and competitors are now performing as acts on the Main Stage!)
While there, enjoy the amazing, giant art pieces that local artist Ann Hall painted — it is something new at each Planet Bluegrass festival. And they frame the Main Stage.
