Rhythms fest tunes up South Fork
SOUTH FORK— Rhythms on the Rio Music Festival kicked off this weekend and with it came excellent music, great fun for families of all ages and activities galore for visitors of the South Fork area. Weather cooperated throughout the weekend, keeping the rainy forecast at bay long enough for everyone who attended to stay dry and warm for the duration of the festival until later Sunday night as the weekend’s festivities came to a close. The area just outside of South Fork was packed full of eager music lovers, camping for the weekend who enjoyed music from around the globe.
The South Fork Music Association (SFMA) spent the entire year planning for the event and reaching out to national talent to fill the schedule for the festival. The bluegrass, folk music genre brings people in by the bucket loads to enjoy the family-friendly atmosphere and mountain scenery that can’t be found in many other places in the region. Even some local favorites graced the stage and lit the crowds on fire as they ripped through their musical renditions of favorite folk songs as people danced the days away.
Thousands of people turned out for the weekend throughout the Valley, filling the roads with traffic and the towns with eager shoppers and adventure-seekers. CDOT helped with traffic control on Highway 160, just outside the festival, bringing traffic to a slow crawl in order to keep everyone safe and bringing people into the festival parking lot. A huge thanks goes out to the people who helped with the traffic control for the event and those who aided in parking people as they entered the festival all weekend long.
A frisbee golf course was set up to the east of the campgrounds this year adding to the already-full schedule of activities for festival goers. The baskets were set up by Wolf Creek Anglers and Rio Grande Vacation Rentals and was a smash hit with visitors throughout the weekend. Many festival-goers could be seen throughout the weekend playing the nine-hole course out in the field with their bright colored disks, taking advantage of the sport while waiting for the musical talent to take the stage.
As in previous years, the festival grounds were packed with food trucks, craft and vender booths as well as yoga tents and children activity areas. Everyone in attendance was guaranteed a great time, with something for the entire family to enjoy. The Kids’ Zone offered crafts, fun activities and games while parents enjoyed the rest of the festival and was made possible with the help of Elianna Krakauer.
The weekend featured several bands like Euforquestra, Jeremy Garrett + Andy Hall, Alwyn Robinson and many more. The musical vibe ranged from funkadelic to bluegrass with a twist of jazz thrown in and was always something everyone could dance to. The groove remained steady, the food remained delicious and the family setting remained joyful as the weekend wound down to the final day. Plans are already underway for next summer!
As always, the SFMA made sure to thank the continued contributions by the Greater South Fork Community Foundation for their help with funding to purchase musical instruments for school age children all over the Valley. The two organizations are working with Valley schools to ensure the survival of music programs by providing musical instruments free of charge to students who are willing to learn.