BAYFIELD – Nationally recognized bands and breweries will show their best work Saturday at the second annual Pine River Festival at Eagle Park in Bayfield.
The Pine River Festival, a nonprofit corporation, is pulling together a 5K and 1K fun run, a brewfest, local bands, food trucks and more to benefit the Be Frank Foundation, a nonprofit that educates and engages youth through music. Organizers hope to see a bigger turnout this year and already have high hopes for future festivals.
“It’s really cool to be doing something positive in town,” said Greg Allen, festival founder and co-owner of Bottom Shelf Brewery in Bayfield. “We help make it hip and a cool place to be, and I’m all for that. And this festival is part of that.”
Festival events start bright and early, with the fun run beginning at Bayfield Senior Center at 9 a.m. The brewfest and barbecue cook-off is from noon to 5 p.m., featuring local bands like the nationally recognized Stillhouse Junkies.
After 5 p.m., students from the first Creative Music Conservatory program, organized by the Be Frank Foundation, will play for an hour, then join The Accidentals, an indie-folk, pop rock band. The headlining band is The Steel Wheels, a nationally recognized Americana band.
This year, the festival offers free shuttles from Durango, Forest Lakes and Ignacio. Food vendors will be on site, and the 15 breweries will include Oskar Blues Brewery, Ska Brewing and WildEdge Brewing Collective – last year’s people’s choice winner.
“We’re kind of sweating the details,” said Karl Herr, associate director of the Be Frank Foundation and a Pine River Festival board member.
“I’m feeling good about it. Things are going to come together.”
For Herr, the fact that the festival is donating to the foundation for the second year is “a tremendous feeling of community support.”
Last year, the festival raised over $5,000, which contributed to program scholarships.
“We definitely don’t want any family, or any child in particular, turned away because they feel like they can’t afford it,” Herr said.
Originally, Allen wanted to provide an event that gives Bayfield residents a fun opportunity to socialize, promotes local businesses and provides an avenue for brewers to showcase their work.
“It’s evolved to focusing on music even more than the brewfest now,” Allen said, and he hopes to continue that trend. In the future, Allen imagines more nationally recognized musicians, a multiple-day event, and maybe even a “whimsical” triathlon fun run.
For Kurt Randall, head brewer at Ska Brewing, the festival provides a way for it to support the Be Frank Foundation.
“I thought it was a decent turnout; this year will be a little better. I’m excited to see what the town of Bayfield has planned,” Randall said.
More information about the festival can be found at the festival’s website.
smullane@durangoherald.com
