Building on the momentum of a highly successful inaugural year, the Wooden Hawk Foundation’s Mountain Music Fest returns to Buchanan Fields on Saturday, August 16 from noon – 9 pm with a line-up sure to satisfy all musical tastes. Featured this year are two headline acts—the Flobots, and Sam Grisman Project with The Leslies.
The festival attracts top talent for multiple reasons: its idyllic location in Evergreen, the production quality of the event, and its core purpose of encouraging young people to develop their talents and launch their futures.
“We ultimately want to be recognized as a music festival on the level of a performance at a venue like Fiddler’s Green,” said Wooden Hawk Foundation President Pam Lush-Lindquist. “Top bands seek the best in sound, lighting and staging—which we continue to enhance—and they are naturally drawn to the beauty of Evergreen. At the heart of it all, and what really speaks to artists, is Wooden Hawk’s mission to provide a music festival that offers students real hands-on experience.”
Platinum-Selling Band Gives Back to Youth
The platinum-selling, alternative hip-hop band, Flobots, will be one of the festival’s headliners. Off stage, the Denver-based group has been nurturing aspiring performers and music industry professionals through the band’s nonprofit, Youth on Record. YOR’s mission is to empower economically disadvantaged young creatives to achieve their artistic, personal and academic best with Colorado musicians and artists as their coaches and mentors. This philosophy aligns perfectly with that of the Music Fest, which gives students the chance to interact with performers, learn aspects of event production, and get hands-on experience in stage management.
Sam Grisman Project to Perform Grateful Dead and Classic Folk Tunes
The festival’s co-headline act, Sam Grisman Project with The Leslies, will deliver an intimate, high-energy set. Led by bassist Sam Grisman, the Sam Grisman Project (SGP) brings together a talented group of friends to honor the musical legacy of Sam’s father, David “Dawg” Grisman, and his close collaborator, Jerry Gracia. SGP blends Garcia/Hunter classics, Dawg tunes, Dylan deep cuts, traditional folk, and original songs from the ensemble.
Dominick Leslie and his family band, The Leslies, will be joining the Sam Grisman Project for a unique collaboration that celebrates the heart of American roots music. An Evergreen High School graduate, Dominick has earned two consecutive Grammy Awards in 2023 and 2024 both for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year as mandolin player for Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.
Festival Offers a Full Afternoon of Music
Setting the tone for the headline acts will be a music-packed afternoon of notable artists:
Christie Huff (4:15-5 pm)
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Christie Huff will take the stage with her blend of country music with a pop-soul edge. Huff is never far from Nashville as she collaborates on songwriting projects with some of the best in the industry. She has opened for top country acts including Jason Aldean, Toby Keith and Bebe Rexha.
YAN YEZ (2:45-3:30 pm)
YAN YEZ, an India Post-Pop band from Denver, will bring lots of personality and genre-defying talent to its festival performance. Named by Westword magazine as a band to watch, the group exudes both grit and polish.
Hand Turkey Band (1:15-2 pm)
Invited back to the festival by popular demand, Hand Turkey Band delivers a fresh take on classic funk, soul and pop sure to get the audience moving. Their just-released debut LP, “Time & Time Again” features lead singer Andy Seracuse, an Evergreen High School graduate.
Non-Prophet (12-12:30 pm)
A band of students from the Morrison-Conifer area, Non-Prophet is the 2024 and 2025 winner of Conifer’s Got Talent.
Tickets are available in advance for $25. Event day tickets are $30. Youth tickets for ages 6-18 are $10 (on-site only). Children under 6 years old receive free entrance. Tickets can be purchased at mountainmusicfest.org. Proceeds go to the Wooden Hawk Foundation, a nonprofit created to support area students.
About Wooden Hawk Foundation
The mission of the Wooden Hawk Foundation is to provide ongoing support to the mountain community school system through charitable and educational initiatives. The organization is dedicated to fostering a sense of community and empowerment by offering mentoring programs, career counseling, and similar opportunities that enrich the lives and educational experiences of students within the area. For more information, visit woodenhawkfoundation.org.
