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5th and Garfield LLC
Keystone’s Bacon & Beer Festival Celebrates 13th Anniversary With More Bacon, Bourbon, And Music Than Ever Before
by Mark Smiley
Bacon: The Keystone Bacon and Bourbon Festival celebrated its 13th year in June, 2024.
The 2024 Keystone Bacon and Bourbon Festival brought a dozen different food vendors, alongside four bacon companies, and 15 bourbon and spirits attendees to the mountains. Pairing with all this bourbon and bacon, guests were treated to an impressive band line-up. Twelve rock bands played over the festival weekend including Summit’s own CB3 and O’Connor Brothers Band, the world’s premier KISS Tribute Band STRUTTER, and the Bacon and Bourbon Festival staple AC/DC tribute band Hell’s Belles. In total there were three festival stages placed throughout River Run Village.
This year, the festival featured more bacon, bourbon, and beer than in years previous. More partners joined the bourbon tour tradition with 15 bourbon suppliers showcasing numerous brands for Hungry Hog ticket purchasers to enjoy. Local mountain man, Bacon Bill, made his debut heading up the event’s kid-centric Camp Bacon.
“After 13 years of a festival you’d think it may be tough coming up with new ideas.” says Maja Russer, Director of Events and Marketing for the Keystone Neighbourhood Company. “The highly creative events and marketing team at the Keystone Neighbourhood Company sat in a room and threw every idea at the wall. The new Harley the Hog mechanical pig, as well as a revamped Camp Bacon were just two of the many items that will make the weekend all about the bacon. A 2023 Festival guest provided feedback in a survey saying, quote: “Draw in the crazies, draw in the committed. Blow me away with bacon.” We are doing our best to fulfill this guest’s and many more enthusiasts’ visions.”
Hell’s Belles: The all-female AC/DC tribute band Hell’s Belles closed the fest with an over 90 minute show that had the crowd dancing and singing the entire time.
The 13th Bacon and Bourbon Festival supports the Colorado mountain community by featuring local businesses, restaurants, and supporting the non-profit Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, the Festival’s beneficiary. For 2024, organizers are working with another prominent community partner, Climax Molybdenum, who this year is helping to power the entire summer festival series volunteer base.
Upcoming festivals in River Run Village include Bluegrass & Beer, August 3-4, 2024; Mountain Town Music Fest, August 17, 2024; and Oktoberfest, August 31, 2024. Visit www.keystonefestivals.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
Photos from KNC Events
Soak Up Straw-Hat Days
Valley Gadfly
Welcome to August: It’s “Summertime and the livin’s easy!” Sure, it can be hot, but it is always filled with adventures that ignite excitement and energy to generate summer happiness!
This month brings up a lot of different feelings. It signifies the lazy days of summer and the excitement of the seasons changing. Gentle and dreamy days, just don’t give up the shade.
To help you enjoy the last breath of summer, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment, to soak up time outdoors, in the pool, and under August’s Full Moon:
Soak up sunshine and the blissfulness of Denver at DCPA’s outdoor Sculpture Park Aug. 3, starting at 2 p.m. British DJ Lee Burridge brings melodic shades of technicolor emotionalism to All Day I Dream. Information: 303-893-4100.
Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo and singer Meshell Ndegeocello play at the Botanic Gardens Summer Series Aug. 7, 6:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-3500.
View work by national artists with live acoustic music at Cherry Creek’s Smash Fine Arts Festival Aug. 10-11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 720-300-4924.
Enjoy smoked bliss by pitmasters from across the country at the Denver BBQ Festival on McGregor Square Aug. 16-18. Information: denverbbqfest.com.
Here’s a hot August suggestion: Keep the summer heat out with Solar Shades — either manual or motorized — from Cherry Creek Shades & Drapery on E. 6th Ave. Family owned, locally operated since 1968. Information: 303-355-4223.
Make this August sweet by visiting Cherry Creek North often. Stroll 16 blocks of chic boutiques, cool galleries, fun fitness studios, sun-soaked happy hours, and buzz worthy eateries. Days to enjoy as you please. Information: 303-394-2904.
See juried fine arts & crafts at the new Park Hill Summer Art Festival on the Masonic Lodge grounds Aug. 17-18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 303-324-5956.
Snag the chance to hear the Hot Tomatoes Dance Orchestra do Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington numbers at Dazzle Aug. 19, 6 p.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
Let your taste buds try the bottomless Denver Brunch Fest at the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria campus Aug. 24, noon to 4 p.m. Information: brunch-so-hard.com
Hear the Doobie Brothers’ picking and harmony that’s tallied five Top 10 singles and 16 Top 40 hits at the Ball Arena Aug. 29, 7 p.m. Information: 303-405-1100.
Plan to participate in this year’s Special Olympics Plane Pull Challenge at DIA Aug. 24. Event is at Signature Aviation, 7850 North Harry B Coombs Pkwy., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pull funds Special Olympics to provide sports & healthy living for children & adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Teams of up to 25 compete to pull airplane 12 ft. in the fastest time. Create or join a team or register as an individual to support Denver, state athletes. Information: 720-359-3100.
Infrequent, uncommon, as rare as hen’s teeth! It’s an event that happens every two to three years, and the saying, “once in a blue moon,” is what describes this August’s Supermoon.
Mark the date, time: August 19, 7:36 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time. It’s unique because it’s a special seasonal blue moon and it will be the last blue moon until May 20, 2027.
Need a hot date? Pick any August day, they don’t get much hotter than that! This month will sip-away like a bottle of wine. So, do what sheep do on sunny days, have a baa-baa-cue.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
