MUSIC IS IN THE AIR

Free Summer Concert Series 

Thirty years ago this summer, several hundred music lovers gathered on the lawn of the Routt County Courthouse for the first free music concert in Steamboat Springs. Fast forward three decades, the venue has moved to Howelsen Hill and the crowds come in the thousands. That first small gathering marked the start of the Free Summer Concert Series and a community commitment to have music available to all in the valley. The current series averages five concerts per summer with attendance ranging from 3,500 to 7,000 people of all ages per event. Run by Great Knight Productions and supported by locals, the line-up is a mix of pop-rock, reggae, bluegrass, blues, and funk.

July 14 – CODY CANADA AND THE DEPARTED with special guest local musician and recent Steamboat Springs High School graduate, Alan Duty, and The Lost Rangers.

For full schedule visit: www.keepinitfree.com 

Strings Music Festival 

For almost half a century, Strings Music Festival has been bringing musicians to the mountains. From humble beginnings in a tent to today’s 569-seat pavilion, the festival brings a hotbed of talent from classical to rock into the valley. Among the impressive mix for the 2023 season are legendary Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame star Graham Nash, comedian David Sedaris and three-time Grammy winners, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Over 60% of Strings events are free to the community including Music on the Green, every Wednesday from 10:00- 10:45 a.m., at the Yampa Valley Botanic Park. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the partnership between the festival and the park. A free celebration is a planned for August 23, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., with food trucks and live music by Jay Roemer. For more info visit: www.stringsmusicfestival.com 

Perry Mansfield Performing Art 

Thanks to the foresight of Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield, two formidable ladies and lovers of the arts who relocated to Steamboat in the early 1900s, Routt County is home to the oldest continuously operating performing arts school in the nation. Hundreds of students ranging in age from seven years to adult professionals take part in camps and workshops led by a host of notable teachers. A handful of productions are open to the public.

Opera Steamboat

 Will perform two operas this summer at the camp, “Gianni Schicchi” and “Proving Up” at the Julie Harris Theater. Check it out at: www.perry-mansfield.org