The breadth and depth of Arise’s lineup combined with the remote location, drew in thousands for the three day festival (August 7-9th). The combination of jam and electronic bands allowed fans to get a little bit of everything. From bluegrass to dubstep you didn’t have to try to find an act that fit your mood. It is rare to find a festival in Colorado that offers camping at such an aesthetically appealing venue. Here are a couple of our highlights from the festival.
1) The Environment
Just over an hour northwest of Denver, Loveland’s Sunrise Ranch proved to be the perfect setting for the Arise Festival. A dirt road leading up to the festival grounds, surrounded by foothills and a lake, made it feel as remote as it gets. Even though this young festival is only 3 years old, there is plenty of space incubating the growth of Arise until it is ready for more stages and artists.
All weekend long, the weather complimented the festival vibes- sunny and partially cloudy during the day and clear star-filled skies at night. Another nice feature of Sunrise Ranch was the lack of cell phone service throughout the festival grounds. With no one being consumed by electronics, an intimate setting was created between bands and the fans.
2) The Music
A few big names like Edward Sharp and The Magnetic Zeros, Emancipator Ensemble, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, and Ozomatli provided a great opportunity for smaller-to-mid size artists to show their stuff. With only four stages it was easy to navigate between acts and see just about every show the lineup offered. In front of all the stages were the loyal fans getting down hard like at any concert, but towards the back of the crowd you saw many people simply lounging on the grassy hills enjoying the scene. Throughout the show it wasn’t uncommon to see men and women on giant stilts roaming through crowds, drawing attention. This is something that would be harder to pull off at larger festivals with more strict rules and regulations. During Ozmolati’s opening song, massive mascots danced their way through the crowd dressed as a bumble bee, lady bug, and butterfly. Certainly this was the most band-crowd interaction of all the shows, which everyone loved.
Skydyed, a nearby young Fort Collins band, took full advantage of this opportunity drawing in the largest crowd at Area 51’s “The Untz” stage Saturday night. Their appeal was obvious when the second song they played was Puppet String (Umphrey’s McGee), which captured the overall genre the festival offered-Electronic and Jam Band. All bands playing mentioned their love and appreciation for the festival and their fans-something that is rare for larger festivals.
3) The Food & Beverage
Anyone camping for three days couldn’t resist the temptation of the delicious local food offered. Nomad’s Street Cuisine and Super Heady Tacos were clear crowd favorites, selling anything from Burgers with Bacon Jam (Nomad) to a Chocolate Chipotle Beef Taco (Super Heady Tacos)…YUM!!! In addition to the food, the beverage selection was quite on point as well. Local craft beer, wine, and sangria were my beverages of choice, and none of them disappointed.
The location, artist-mix, and local support will surely keep Arise Festival alive and prosperous. Watch this festival grow into one of the most popular fests that Colorado has to offer!
