Who’s excited about the Clear Creek RapidGrass Bluegrass Festival?

Who’s excited about the Clear Creek RapidGrass Bluegrass Festival? Today marks the start of festival, with people already claiming their camping spot and setting up their weekend home.

“Thursday is the first day of the festival but there are like, 15 people there,” two year running attendee, Mark Emde said. “It’s the most fun.”

Only a few festivals boast such a picker-centric campground. Walnut Valley, Rocky Grass, Four Corners Folk Fest, and rumor has it, RapidGrass. The line-up reflects the campground heritage with both Sam Bush and Jeff Austin.

A lot of the line-up is local, including host RapidGrass. Guitar and vocalist, Mark Morris is from Golden; bassist, Carl Meinecke lives in Longmont, and Alex Johnstone, who plays mandolin, is coming from Lyons.

The ties that RapidGrass developed while growing up in the area are evident in both their appearance Thursday night at the Golden Hotel and through their ties with YarmonyGrass and UllrGrass. The guys have been doing a ton of promotion work including a feature on KGNU Old Grass Gnu Grass in Boulder last weekend, and getting a shout out from Sam Bush himself.

Local band, Thunder and Rain are the kick-off band at five on Friday, and they are excited to take the stage again this year.

“Last year we played the side stage, and we weren’t sure if we were going to get it; since we were asked to play, we’re going to be ready,” Erin Peat-Lukes said.

After their last few shows, the band is getting more comfortable in their style and are locking in their presence and style.

“I already told the boys what the outfit situation is,” Peat-Lukes said. “I mean we’re going to look like a band.”

Go out this weekend and check out the Rail Splitters, the Travelin’ McCourys, Jeff Austin Band, RapidGrass Quintet, Thunder and Rain, Coral Creek, Front Country, Ronnie McCourys All Star Jam, and many more. There are very few reasons not to go.