Cold, rain and snow do not keep Red Rocks Amphitheatre from selling out its annual January concert, and Golden resident Chris Thompson thinks the same will be true for his upcoming winter music festival.
“That doesn’t happen,” he said regarding the possibility that winter weather could deter UllrGrass, a new weekend festival featuring bluegrass musicians and workshops, a beer festival and a day of Jan. 29-Feb. 1.
“We think of it as a music festival, beer festival and event for winter sports enthusiasts,” Thompson said of the festival named after Ullr, the Norse god of winter. The weekend’s schedule includes an ice slide, and a dance contest Feb. 1 in Parfet Park, in addition to lots of local talent.
Headlining the festival Jan. 30 is Peter Rowan and the UllrGrass Allstars, a mashup of musicians from nationally renowned bluegrass and jam bands like the Infamous Stringdusters and Leftover Salmon. The rest of the weekend lineup is packed with local connections, such as Rapidgrass featuring Golden resident Mark Morris, Thompson’s own Coral Creek, Thunder and Rain, Whiskey Tango, the Caribou Mountain Collective and more.
“It’s a way to feature some of the local acts here in Golden while bringing in some of the top regional bands,” Thompson said.
Thompson has woven a network of local musicians through the weekly Clear Creek concert series he has organized in Golden over the past five summers. He said UllrGrass is an opportunity .
“This was basically the natural next step in expanding that mandate of trying to bring good music to Golden,” he said.
Along with Thompson’s company Coral Creek Music, the festival is being presented by organizers of “sister festivals” YarmonyGrass, held each August in Bond, Colo., and Idaho Springs’ 2-year-old June festival Rapidgrass, as well as the Golden Fine Arts Festival put on by the Golden Chamber of Commerce. Thompson said that by partnering, the festivals are able to share resources such as volunteers and sponsors.
Some of the Clear Creek music series’ summer concerts have drawn 500 to 600 people, Thomspon said, and he plans to keep bringing his musical connections to the community.
“We have aspirations to expand (the Clear Creek concert series) with a monthly thing in Parfet Park with a bigger budget and bigger acts,” he said.
Josie Klemaier: 303-954-2465, jklemaier@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JosieKlemaier
Ullrgrass
Where: Performances at Mountain Toad Brewing, Golden Hotel, Buffalo Rose Saloon and Parfet Park
When: Jan. 29-Feb. 1
Cost: Weekend passes $80; single-day tickets $40
Info: Find a complete lineup and schedule, and purchase tickets, at
