Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival is one of Colorado’s standout summer music festivals. With the beloved event entering its sixth year in 2018, Beanstalk is looking to be better than ever when it returns to Eagle County, Colorado’s Rancho Del Rio from June 28th through 30th. With the host band, Magic Beans, on deck for three nights of performances, plus a stacked lineup of nationally renowned and regional acts and a focus on super jams, Beanstalk has dialed in a truly impressive weekend of music.

In addition to Magic Beans’ host sets and the annual “Beanstalk All-Star Superjam” chock full of high-profile players in the scene, this year, Beanstalk has curated a lineup featuring headliners Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Aqueous in addition to Octave Cat, a side project featuring Jesse Miller of Lotus, Eli Winderman of Dopapod, and Charlie Patierno; Ghost Light, the highly anticipated new band featuring Holly Bowling and Tom Hamilton; Cory Wong of Vulfpeck; and Eminence Ensemble. The initial lineup is rounded out with sets by Mungion, Cycles (two sets), Lespecial (an original set and a “Lespecial Does Primus” set), Amoramora, Yak Attack, The Jauntee, and more.

Add to this lineup the festival’s gorgeous location, intimate setting, and bountiful activities to fill your day, and the festival easily tops the list of can’t-miss events in Colorado this summer. Given that Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival is one of the best-kept secrets of the Rocky Mountain West, for those uninitiated, we want to give you the lowdown on exactly what makes this event so special. Read on for a list of five of our favorite things about the festival and exactly why Beanstalk is so special.

1. The Lineup

It’s nice to see a lineup that’s so tailormade for fans of live music. All the performers on the bill are known for outstanding live shows, though Beanstalk has clearly cemented itself as a festival focused on jams—something not necessarily surprising given its hosts. However, the festival does a great job of mixing it up, finding artists (both local and national), that appeal to attendees’ broader music sensibilities by offering tastes of funk, jamtronica, and more. Furthermore, the event should get props for its dedication to fostering its local music community, bringing other local Colorado acts outside Magic Beans—like Eminence Ensemble, Cycles, The Jauntee, and Amoramora—up with it.

2. The Super Jams & Sit-Ins

Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival has created a unique environment full of musical surprises. Given the festival’s intimate vibe, there’s an underlying sense of camaraderie among its artists, making for open jams on stage with tons of guest sit-ins. This focus on sharing the stage is cemented by the Beanstalk All-Star Superjam, which specifically invites out big-name musicians in the scene to join the other musicians on hand for the event. This year, the super jam will feature Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits, Dave Watts of The Motet, Matt Jalbert of TAUK, and more, further augmenting the festival’s already top-notch musical lineup.

3.The Venue

Taking place at Rancho Del Rio, Beanstalk Music & Mountains festival has found a home at one of the most gorgeous venues in Colorado. The beloved campsite is situated on the banks of the Colorado River and nestled in a breathtaking mountain valley in Eagle County, offering up all the elements for a truly superb Colorado weekend (with or without music) and a truly awe-inspiring backdrop for any musical performance. Easily accessible at only 2.5 hours away from Denver and Boulder and less than an hour away from Steamboat, Winter Park, and Vail, the camping festival has locked down an enviable location that must be seen to be believed—setting itself apart from many other Colorado music festivals that don’t take advantage of the state’s natural beauty.

4. The Host Band

Magic Beans have been steadily earning a name for themselves as one of the premier young jam acts in the country. Comprised of Scott Hachey, Casey Russell, Chris Duffy and Cody Wales, the band has been steadily expanding their rabid fanbase to outside their home state of Colorado, earning opening gigs for The Disco Biscuits (Magic Beans performs with them tonight, April 20th, in Philadelphia) and rising on the bill for high-profile events like The Peach Music Festival and Camp Bisco. Most recently, the group released a brand-new album, Casino Cabaret, which further cemented them as one of the top up-and-coming jam acts in the country. While the group is already known for their infectious tunes and high-octane live shows, as the host band for Beanstalk, the energy of their performances at the event are on another level. And with multiple sets across the weekend, Beanstalk offers fans new and old to really see the group flex their musical muscles, show off their broad music talents, and dive into their vast catalog.

5. Other Activities

While Rancho Del Rio is a sight to behold, another benefit to the venue is its prime location. The festival has done fans the service of starting music in the mid-afternoon, and with Rancho Del Rio’s position by the Colorado River and nestled in the mountains, attendees can enjoy the best of the Colorado outdoors. In the morning, folks go off-site and enjoy nearby hiking, hot springs, cliff jumping, ATVing, and world-class mountain biking. To cool off, take a dip in the river, or take advantage of the venue being a drop off point for river activities and raft, stand-up paddleboard, or fish. Another highlight of the festival is its access to tubing, so bring your own tube or you’ll be missing out! If you’re feeling less adventurous or just a need to decompress, folks can practice slow-flow, Yin, and Kali Durga yoga during sessions offered by the festival.

With standout musical offerings, a plethora of other activities to keep your day filled, and a gorgeous setting, Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival is shaping up to the best one yet. Tickets are available here. For more information about Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival 2018, visit the event website or follow the event on Facebook.

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