A few days ago we carefully placed the final stone on the river rock sculpture that is the upcoming Planet Bluegrass festival season. Viewed from afar, this 2011 Festivarian summer sculpture is dominated by the buzz of unprecedented ticket demand and early sell-outs. But a closer look reveals the unique character of each festival — now capped by our final summer weekend of songs, stories, and sunshine along the St. Vrain River in August.

Our "summit on the song" is completed by a passionate duo just beginning their Planet Bluegrass journey, by both a dear favorite and a future favorite Australian, and by one of the greatest musical legends to ever perform on our Lyons stage...


We are thrilled to announce that one of the true geniuses of American song, Jackson Browne (!!), will be giving a very special solo performance to close our festival season on the Sunday night of the 21st Annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival (Aug 19-21). He joins a single-day lineup that delves deep into the world of song, including Brandi Carlile, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Josh Ritter, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and the debut of the superstar trio of Bob Weir, Chris Robinson and Jackie Greene...

The spectacular Sunday of music also now includes the Planet Bluegrass debut of the breathtaking duo The Civil Wars (seriously, watch this) and the return of the much-loved Australian folk-pop sensation Missy Higgins for a powerful solo set. The previous day, the Australian connection deepens as we welcome the sassy Aussie soulstress Mama Kin (another required diversion) for a Saturday afternoon set.

After the adventurous virtuosity and treacherous tempos of June and July, Folks Fest flows at the relaxed pace of the mid-August Colorado sun. This is a calmed celebration, where friends and families spend one final weekend together to soak in the inspiration and creativity of a raised voice in song. Festivarians rest their chairs and feet in the St. Vrain River as kids float by on innertubes; the late-night campground scene is dominated by the casual sharing of songs and a passed guitar.

Tickets (including single-day tickets and 3-day passes) and camping (including spaces in the coveted on-site campground) are available now at shop.bluegrass.com or 800-624-2422. As always, Planet Bluegrass charges no handling fees and Folks Festival tickets are fully refundable if returned by July 15.

As we've learned repeatedly this year, it's not too early to begin sharing your Folks Fest plans with your Festivarian family. It's going to be another remarkable weekend in Lyons, and we don't want anyone to miss out.


In case you haven't heard: Telluride Bluegrass and RockyGrass are now both completely sold-out. Yes, every last festival ticket. If you're still looking for tickets, have a look at the ticket swap boards on the Festivarian Forum and keep an eye on the "returned ticket resale" at shop.bluegrass.com on Tuesdays at noon MDT.

Though last week's demand for Telluride NightGrass shows was extraordinary, we still have tickets available for the pairing of The Head and The Heart + Matthew and the Atlas at the Palm Theater on Friday, June 17 at the Palm Theater.

We'll have lots of Telluride Bluegrass news to share in the next few weeks, including the FirstGrass and Elks Park schedules as well as the Telluride Troubadour finalists.

In the meantime, here's the perfect springtime musical accompaniment to the blooming tulips and blossoming fruit trees here on Planet Bluegrass. Summer is just around the corner; we can't wait to share it with you.

Best,
The Folks on Planet Bluegrass