Bohemian Nights at New West Fest in Fort Collins

Jenn Cohen | September 6, 2012 | 0 Comments

by Hannah Lintner

Bohemian Nights at New West Fest is an annual urban street festival in Fort Collins that completely owns the weekend August 10-12. A number of streets were completely shut down to make room for the stages, along with the overwhelming crowds that poured into the downtown area to experience the festival. The Bohemian Foundation provides six stages located throughout downtown that houses continuous shows over the three-day period. Not only did the festival contain over 25 hours of live music, but it also provided opportunities for over 250 local art, craft, and food businesses with booths located throughout the streets. Kids Music Adventure was another fun aspect of Bohemian Nights. The free kids’ area allowed children to experiment with music by letting them to try out new instruments in a structured environment. The celebration of local Fort Collins included Local Friday, where only local Colorado bands played between 5 and 7:15. Odell’s, one of Fort Collins’ favorite local breweries, partnered with the Lyric Cinema Café, Fort Collins’ favorite local movie theater, to create a new beer called the Honey Baron. The Honey Baron was only available during the festival at the Lyric, and created a crowd that spilled out of the lobby and out onto the patio. The music from the festival was broadcasted live on KRFC 88.9FM Community Radio, which could also be found online.

Over 90 bands were featured during the eighth annual Bohemian Nights festival. Each night included a national headlining act located on Mountain Stage. Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band with a wide range of genres, brought out a raving crowd on Friday night. Saturday night included Alison Krauss, the proud owner of six Grammy Awards, playing with Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. Locals packed in tight to experience the collaborative project of the five musicians. Gipsy Kings closed the weekend by seven on Sunday with an hour and a half set of Spanish music tinged with a dash of pop. The group, who began as a gypsy band who traveled throughout France playing weddings, festivals, and the streets, felt at home with the passionate fans of Fort Collins.