By Molly Chappell
southparkmusictour.com
June 21-24
Fairplay, Colo.
The South Park Music Tour and Music Industry Conference is the “highest independent music festival,” that literally takes over the sleepy town of Fairplay, Colo. with 5,000 fans, and best of all it’s free. The festival hosts more than 50 bands representing numerous genres, including emo, jazz, grass, metal, hip-hop, indie, and good old rock and roll, on nine stages. Whether you are five or 50, you’ll be able to find something fun from the more than 30 juried artists, crafts food and other vendors.
The four-day event also hosts a conference on Friday, including panelists Shaun Agnew from Blue Metallic Entertainment and Maria Gonzales from Warner Brothers Entertainment as they address topics that will help bands to succeed, such as “How to create a performance agreement” or “Your band is your business.” Hosted by McGoon Productions, the aim of the festival is to help artists connect with labels and develop a larger fan base. It’s a great way to find out who the up-and-coming artists are and you’ll be able to say that you saw them before they hit the main stage!
TRAVEL TIME:
(As calculated by mapquest.com from
Denver, Colo. to Fairplay, Colo.)
Total Est. Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 86 miles
ALONG THE WAY: Although you won’t actually run into Kenny or Cartman from “Southpark,” you’ll be able to see the town the cartoon was born from. Fairplay is the “headquarters” of the Pike National Forest, where you can hike, camp, bike, etc. In Fairplay, you are surrounded by 14,000 ft. mountains that will just beg you to explore them. There is also a free shuttle between Breckenridge and South Park. In Breckenridge you can stop in and grab a beer at the Breckenridge Brewery, snarf down food at the Breck Burger Bar, or stop by and see some music at Sherpa and Yeti’s.
PRICES: $
CAMPING: Nearby on National Forest land
