"Festivarian" means more than just Festivals

We all know that Festival Sunday night feeling - one final hug to our new campmates, picking one final emotion-filled waltz, realizing that the magical Festival music we wait for all year is now a full-year away. We know the feeling. And we've dealt with that annual sadness for long enough...

Beginning in September 2007, Planet Bluegrass presents the year-round Wildflower Concert Series on the Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons, CO. A concert series of six or seven shows in the fall and six shows in the spring with our favorite artists. Intimate evenings of bluegrass, singer-songwriters, Celtic, and Americana along the banks of the St. Vrain River.

We'll always have Oskar Blues beer, wine, coffee, and water for sale when the Pavilion doors open. Some nights we'll invite everyone to special barbecue cookouts before the show. And when the weather feels right, we'll fire up a post-show bonfire and jam nestled along the St. Vrain river.

We've been talking about hosting year-round shows since the original Wildflower Theater collapsed in 1997. Now ten years later, we finally realize this dream in the new Wildflower Pavilion.

The Concert Series

Join us in the spectacular new "cathedral of bluegrass" in Lyons for the next great acoustic adventure on Planet Bluegrass. We're nestled in the foothills - an easy 25-minutes north of Boulder; under an hour from Denver or Fort Collins.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for one of the seven shows in our inaugural seasoon. Tickets for the opening night gala with Tim O'Brien (making his only Planet Bluegrass appearance of 2007) sold-out in less than two hours. The series continuesdwith Leftover Salmon mandolin master Drew Emmitt, the authentic Americana of Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, the emotionally rich songwriting of Mindy Smith, the bluegrass powerhouse Mountain Heart, and... capping off the opening season: the wildly eclectic and endlessly fascinating Michelle Shocked.

In addition, we moved our traditional celebration of the Mabon (Autumnal Equinox) into the Wildflower Pavilion for a special sold-out evening of musical magic with Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufmann of Yonder Mountain Striing Band on September 22. We'll open the grounds at 2pm for camping, food and drink, music jams all over the Ranch including a set from Taarka, an Autumnal Mabon Feast, and late night bonfires along the St. Vrain.

Look for information later this winter about the Spring season of shows in the Wildflower Pavilion. Sign up for the "Notes from the Planet" email newsletter for all the latest Wildflower news.

All Wildflower Tickets will be held at will-call at the Pavilion box office. We will only be selling 300 tickets to each of these shows, so plan to get your tickets early.

Spread the Love

As we embark on this new acoustic adventure here on Planet Bluegrass, we more than ever on you, the Festivarians, to help us spread the word. If you've been to one of these inaugural shows in the Wildflower, tell your friends about it. If you had a magical time at one of these shows, send a shout out to your favorite email list, post something on the internet, or just tell folks at your local watering hole or jam session.

Grab a couple posters at the end of the night and put them up in your neighborhood. Or print them out yourself. We thrive from Festivarians sharing the good word with other would-be festivarians. If you haven't yet experienced the Wildflower Pavilion, bring a couple friends along. And most importantly, if there are things you'd like to see us improve for these shows, please let us know - 800-624-2422 or email us at [email protected]. We're waiting to hear from you.

We look forward to seeing you in Lyons this fall and spring. Be sure you're signed up for the Notes from the Planet for all the latest Wildflower news.