Blues From The Top returns to Winter Park for another amazing fest

The 24th annual Blues From The Top Festival, presented by the Grand County Blues Society, takes place Friday, June 26, through Sunday, June 28, once again at the scenic Rendezvous Event Center in downtown Winter Park, Colorado.

Blues From The Top continues its tradition of bringing world-class music to the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, with multiple stages, a unique silent auction benefiting Blue Star Connection, scenic vistas, and the perfect summer vibe. Set in the picturesque mountain town of Winter Park, the festival offers an unparalleled musical experience, with performances spanning from legendary icons to up-and-coming talent.

This year’s lineup features some of the biggest names on the blues/ roots/ Americana scene: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Wood Brothers, Los Lobos, Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-A-Whirl Band, North Mississippi All Stars, Bywater Call, Marc Broussard, Southern Hospitality featuring JP Soars, Victor Wainwright, and Damon Fowler, Blind Boys of Alabama, Vanessa Collier, and the Tyron Benoit Band.

In addition to listening to all of the great music, be sure to visit the Check Out The Music Side Stage in the Vendor Village. During set changes, festival-goers can head there, located in the Vendor Village called Electric Avenue. This dynamic stage will showcase young, up-and-coming musicians, providing a platform for the next generation of blues and roots talent. It’s a unique opportunity to catch fresh, electrifying performances from the School of Rock plus local and regional musicians while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of the festival’s vendor village with a host of unique retail and artwork booths.

blues top Kenny Wayne Shepherd 2
Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Arriving early? Come Thursday, June 25 by 6 p.m. for a special FREE concert at the Rendezvous Event Center in downtown Winter Park. Music continues nightly throughout town over the weekend. The event’s producers, along with volunteers and amazing ski-town community, create a utopia of great music and an outdoor vibe for festival attendees.

The Grand County Blues Society (GCBS) non-profit (501c3) was created in 2002 to enhance the cultural existence of Grand County residents and to be a beacon for our friends and visitors that love escaping to the shadow of the Continental Divide. For well over a decade, the GCBS has produced 21 blues festivals, more than 285 individual blues concerts, and has continued its support of our primary programs.

blues top Los Lobos 📸- Greg Chow
Los Lobos. 📸: Greg Chow

blues top Vanessa Collier
Vanessa Collier

The Grand County Blues Society has been a pioneer in the realm of blues music education. School-age children across Grand County are lucky to have been immersed in the blues. Not only have they been entertained by all the programs that have come their way, they have been on the stage, creating their own “bluesical” and giving performances on the festival stages over the years.

blues top North Mississippi Allstars Josh Brick Graphics
North Mississippi Allstars. 📸: Josh Brick Graphics

Blue Star Connection (BSC) is its most notable program; in its 20 year, it has supplied more than 92 children’s hospitals with valuable and plentiful collections of musical instruments for their music therapy departments. BSC has also gifted personal instruments to more than 800 children. BSC continues to support the music therapy industry with constant fund-raising and an all-out effort to continue the mission of BSC. Music Therapy needs an advocate, and BSC is proud to be considered a front-runner. All of this has been done with an all-volunteer board and a very loyal and generous membership.

Blues From The Top returns to Winter Park for another amazing fest