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Friday Fest

BandWagon Magazine has covered Friday Fest in 16 stories since 2014, including 10 features and 4 photo galleries. The latest: The Soundtrack of This Little Town (Aug 1, 2026).

16 stories

Window of the Downtown Sound record store with a lit OPEN neon sign and records displayed inside.

FeaturesThe Soundtrack of This Little TownInside The Downtown Sound, Greeley’s sole record shop and the quiet heart of a growing music scene.Landon Ungerman · Aug 1, 2026

Crowd of silhouetted fans watches three musicians perform on an outdoor stage at night under warm orange lights.

Concert PhotosBlock Party 2024Greeley’s Block Party lit up downtown last Friday night, with local music filling the air as the second-to-last Friday Fest of the summer came to life.Jason Alfaro · Sep 11, 2024

A bearded man in a black cap and glasses sits on a brown leather couch against a mint green wall.

FeaturesDoogie Brings Da Funk to G-TownIvan Cervantes has lived in Greeley all his life.Kasey George Smith · Mar 27, 2024

Three performers on a dark stage with pink lights, one in a striped shirt playing guitar near a drum kit.

FeaturesThe Greeley Block Party Unveils its Lineup for FREE Upcoming Music FestivalSchool is back in session and summer’s end is around the corner, which means it’s time for Greeley’s biggest, most diverse music festival of the year!Landon Ungerman · Sep 5, 2023

Scenes from May Play Music Festival in Greeley (photo 1 of 10)

Concert PhotosMay Play Music Festival Photo GalleryNew photos from this year's May Play Music Festival, the Greeley Friday Fest kick off, are now online.Michael Emanuele · Jun 14, 2021

Children reach for floating bubbles on a brick-paved street crowded with festival crowds, tents, and a Pepsi cooler.

Concert PhotosMay Play 2021Concert photos from the 2021 MayPlay event featuring Mike Zito’s Big Blues Band, The Great Salmon Famine, Hannah & The Cuddies, DEBR4H. Estin & the 86’d, Charlie Stevens Band and shots of the crown from the year’s first Friday Fest on May 28, 2021. Photos by Backstage Flash and Peary Schroeder.BandWagon Magazine · Jun 14, 2021

Smiling woman with curly dark hair and a black tank top leans arms-crossed against a weathered brick wall outdoors.

CommunityFor Life: Emily Nelson on The DrumsEmily Nelson had a feeling the universe had something in mind for her. “The drums were just a fun way to get healthy again,” she said, “and a year later, Erica was there.” Erica, Brown, the Denver blues diva and Greeley favorite, brought Nelson in to her all-woman band the Cast Iron Queens after several life-changing events gave Nelson the strength not to be paralyzed by perfectionism.Dan England · Jun 3, 2021

Dense crowd of concertgoers packs an outdoor arena floor at dusk, with fans filling the tiered stands behind them.

FeaturesPump Up The Jam: Festivals Get the OK in Vaccinated NoCo – We Break It DownJustin Watada sighed through a tired laugh. “I’ve had better years,” he said. Watada’s run 17 Greeley Stampedes and this year’s been the toughest. Yes, this year, even with the good news that there will actually be a 2021 Stampede. “We are on version 10 of our budget this year,” Watada said. “We are 50-some days away, and there’s still so much unknown.” Still, even more big events look promising, The Greeley Blues Jam, May Play, Friday Fest, The Greeley Arts Picnic and more promise to happen, but what they’ll look and sound like remains to be seen. If last year was a bummer, this year is more like chaos. Let’s Dig In.Dan England · May 3, 2021

Picnic tables and blue umbrellas sit on a brick plaza beside downtown shops, with a few people dining outdoors.

FeaturesReunited and it Feels So Downtown – Greeley’s United Plaza and Socially Distanced DistrictDowntown Greeley’s been quiet since March, when the outbreak shuttered bars (for the second time now), restaurants and other fun places that made downtown as successful as it’s been in decades. But business owners hope to make some noise by closing 8th and 9th streets and putting open dining tables out. They also added an open container law that essentially extends the Go Cup law full-time until fall, only with loosened restrictions: Any alcohol is OK now, even if you have some from home, though the idea is to support the businesses on the blocks. The Greeley City Council approved the plan and began it July 1.Dan England · Aug 4, 2020

Illustrated crowd of masked people in red tones raising hands and phones, with a ferris wheel in the background.

FeaturesThe Fate Of Festival FutureEven right after she was the sickest she’d been in her life, Alison Hamling still cried after she essentially canceled Friday Fest in Downtown Greeley.Dan England · Jun 5, 2020

Smiling woman with short blonde hair in a blue top leans on a white railing beneath a porch with dark columns.

FeaturesStill At It: Producing the Greeley Arts Picnic Ain’t Just A Day In The ParkRhonda Welch, festival / event coordinator for the City of Greeley answers calls from close to 150 artists and crafters, 24 performers (including 18 music groups) more than a dozen food vendors and representatives for the Coors beer garden at The Greeley Arts Picnic. She’s spends most of June and July inside so you can be outside in Lincoln Park the weekend of July 27 for the 41st annual Arts Picnic, featuring a kick-off party on the 26th by Funkiphino. For now, Welch is still at it.Dan England · Jul 19, 2019

Photo for “Keeping It Fresh: Friday Fest Kicks Off Greeley Outdoor Concert Season”

FeaturesKeeping It Fresh: Friday Fest Kicks Off Greeley Outdoor Concert SeasonYou’ll see more variety at this year’s Friday Fest series in downtown Greeley. You also won’t see many bands that you saw last year. But one thing is for sure: You’ll want to dance once they play. “It has to be danceable,” said Alison Hamling, of the Downtown Development Authority. You’ll notice some changes in this year’s lineup too, starting Friday, June 7 at the Greeley Blues Jam kickoff.Dan England · Jun 5, 2019

Photo for “June 2019 – Cody Johnson”

June 2019 – Cody JohnsonIN THIS ISSUE: Cody Johnson | Nappy Roots | Red Baraat | Dressy Bessy | Johnny Burroughs | The Trujillo | Friday Fest in Downtown GreeleyEly Corliss · Jun 1, 2019

Photo for “Shemekia Copeland Says What She Wants: Blues Jam Headliner Speaks Her Mind Through Her Music”

FeaturesShemekia Copeland Says What She Wants: Blues Jam Headliner Speaks Her Mind Through Her MusicShemekia Copeland was pissed off on a Tuesday morning. It was something she heard from one of Trump’s “offspring,” as she calls him, about how if poor people want more in life, they just have to work harder. Recognized by many as the finest blues singer of her generation, Copeland headlines the Greeley Blues Jam June 8. She also draws attention for being outspoken in a world that tends to be surprisingly silent about social issues.Dan England · May 27, 2019

Cale Dodds plays an acoustic guitar on stage at The Penalty Box as a cheering crowd raises their hands.

CommunityFriday Fest: Cale Dodds @The Penalty BoxPhotography by Dylan Adams BandWagon Magazine [vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid style=”lazy” grid_id=”vc_gid:1491963685826-85ca51ff-57d3-10″ include=”13011,13012,13013,13014,13015,13016,13017,13018,13019,13020″][/vc_column][/vc_row]BandWagon Magazine · Apr 17, 2015

A man in a plaid shirt kneels on brick pavement, shading a large chalk drawing of a yellow and green creature.

CommunityGreeley Attempts to Break World Chalk RecordOn September 6th, 2014 citizens of Greeley, Colorado will draw 3.7 miles of pavement chalk art in the parking lots surrounding UNC’s main campus in order to break the previous record made on June 5th, 2009 in Jena, Germany. Students of Jena completed the longest chalk art at 3.47 miles, made up of 6 foot by 6 foot square segments.Kendra Hamman · Sep 4, 2014