Memorial Day in Boulder marks the city's annual transformation into a pedestrian paradise of food carts, face paint and someone playing a mandolin on a slackline. The Boulder Creek Festival returns Friday and runs through Monday, along the Boulder Creek, stretching from Ninth to 14th streets, with four days of free music, cold beer, street art and enough sunscreen-slicked toddlers to remind you that, yes, this is a family event.
The festival typically draws more than 150,000 people. Now, in its 36th year, this year will feature more than 30 performances, plus a Creekside Beer Fest, a live art battle and more food vendors than Canyon Boulevard has cyclists. Whether you're there for the bluegrass, the corn dogs or just a good people-watch, Creek Fest is the kind of weekend event that reminds you why you never moved to Denver.
While there's no shortage of sound at this year's Boulder Creek Festival, the entertainment isn't limited to guitars and drums. One moment you'll be watching a fiddler tear through a bluegrass solo, and the next you'll see someone levitating a dollar bill or demonstrating a perfectly timed roundhouse kick. The stages are filled with music, magic, martial arts and just enough spontaneity to make you wonder what else you might stumble into before the day ends.
Boulder's own Magic Beans hold down the Saturday night headliner slot with a signature blend of funk, groove and improvisational sprawl. They perform 8-10 p.m. Saturday at the Bandshell Stage, 1212 Canyon Blvd., Boulder. The band has built a loyal following across Colorado's jam scene, and the band's slot at Creek Fest set is shaping up to be one of the weekend's biggest draws. Even if you don't know the name, you'll probably recognize the sound -- tight, joyful and impossible to stand still through.
The festival closes with Queso Ra, a Longmont-based five-piece that describes its sound as "a feeling of joy." The band's set runs from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday at the Festival Stage. Queso Ra blends Americana, bluegrass, soul, folk and rock into one rich, fiddle-forward performance.
"We cover a lot of music by claiming Americana," lead guitarist Johnny Schober said, "but behind that is the blues, bluegrass, soul, folk and rock 'n' roll."
The band has been recording and writing all year, and this show feels like a turning point.
"Our live show is built to take the listener on a journey," Schober said. "Quiet moments of intense emotion that ebb and flow against powerful declarations of joy. We hope folks leave our show hanging on to that joy while whistling something they heard the fiddle play."
For Christopher Clauss, of Boulder-based Phoebe Nix, it's a new sensation to be on the other side of the stage.
"I've been going to the festival since I was eight," Clauss said. "I teach music to a ton of young folks in Boulder County, and this is a great, family-friendly show for them to attend."
Phoebe Nix performs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday on the Festival Stage. The band blends funk, rock and improvisation into a sound Clauss describes as "good-time music."
"Phoebe Nix is a rock and roll band," he said. "We play good-time music and our greatest joy is watching the audience go nuts."
The band has made the leap from performing in coffee shops like Trident to bigger stages like the Fox, and now they're bringing their jazz-tinged, high-energy performance downtown.
Flash Mountain Flood follows later Sunday evening on the Bandshell Stage, playing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Boulder-born jam band is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer, and Sunday's set serves as the official kickoff. Known for their rootsy take on improvisational rock, the band promises a mix of originals, deep cuts and a few special guests.
"We all grew up going to the Creek Fest," said bassist and vocalist Derek Dames Ohl. "My mom and dad would take me to the Bandshell to watch music and I remember just gazing up there with stars in my eyes."
According to Ohl, the Bandshell is one of the band's favorite local stages, and this year's show will be both a nod to the past and a nod to the future.
"We're inviting past members [to play] and diving deep into our catalog of originals and choice covers over the years. There'll be many surprises for new and longtime fans alike."
Not everything on the lineup involves instruments. Magician Braden Carlisle is back for his third Creek Fest, and this year he's performing across two days -- at 12:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Family Stage. His show is part sleight-of-hand, part comedy and part controlled chaos.
"More opportunities for fun, surprises and a little magical mayhem," Carlisle said.
Carlisle's act is designed to hit all ages without dumbing anything down.
"Whether you're 5 or 85," he said, "I want you laughing, gasping and maybe wondering just a little bit about how I just did that."
Beyond the stages, the festival fills the creek path with the crowd-pleasing distractions that make it hard to stick to any schedule. The Creekside Beer Fest returns with more than 20 Colorado breweries pouring on Saturday and Sunday, including local staples like Avery, Upslope and Ratio. It's ticketed, so plan ahead. There are three sessions on Saturday and two sessions on Sunday. Guests can nab a $46.58 ticket at bouldercreekfest.com/creekside-beer-fest. The ticket includes all beer samples during a two-hour session. Guests must be 21 years of age and older.
The Street Wise Art Battle takes over the festival's Art Zone on Saturday and Sunday, where 10 muralists will paint live throughout the day. Visitors can vote for their favorite, and the winning piece will be displayed in Boulder later this year. A silent auction benefits Street Wise Arts.
Creekside for Kids will once again serve as a semi-contained whirlwind of concerts, games, crafts and noise. Jeff and Paige will headline the youth stage, with interactive booths scattered nearby, including plenty of face painting. It's sticky, loud and exactly what it needs to be.
More than 200 vendors will set up shop throughout the weekend, offering handmade art, ceramics, clothing and enough snack options to justify wandering without a plan. There will be carnival food, vegan food, food on sticks, food in cones and possibly food shaped like cartoon characters. If you've been to Creek Fest before, you know the drill.