Plenty of college students spend their time sitting around, making pretend-plans for events, businesses or just random ideas for the future. Bridget Hartman, Aaron Dupuis and their friends are no different, except their plans are not-at-all “pretend.” This group of music and outdoor enthusiasts has combined their passions to provide Colorado with the student-organized Orpheus Music and Arts Festival on August 31 and September 1. Being held at Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood Springs, festival-goers will be surrounded not only by local music but also by incredible hiking trails and mountain vistas. The festival will take place over two days on one stage.
Hartman was inspired to take on such a task while studying in Glasgow, Ireland where she saw how vibrant the music scene was. She felt that Colorado could benefit from a cool, creative outlet for young musicians to share their talent with each other and the world. Through their diverse friend group, Hartman and Dupuis were able to assemble a team of inspired and ambitious young adults to make Orpheus Festival happen. The 10-person team includes co-presidents (Hartman and Dupuis), a Vice President, a marketing team plus sustainability and creative teams as well.
We are still awaiting an official lineup announcement, however, the festival promises to host local Denver musicians as well as students. In addition, from 10 to 12 p.m. each night the team is hosting what they’re calling Colorado’s largest open jam, providing a chance for all who are interested to go perform alongside any others who choose to take the stage.
The organizers are running a GoFundMe to raise money to make the festival even more amazing. On May 5, Dupuis launched a Facebook live Streamathon where multiple musical, theatrical and comedic acts performed to help keep things interesting for the 24-hour fundraising event. At the time of publishing this article, the GoFundMe page says Orpheus has raised $3,159 of their $10,000 goal.
A $20 donation gets you a free tarot reading and stickers. The returns get better as the donations go up. With a $100 donation, you get a discounted ticket to the two-day Orpheus Festival. Student discounts will be available for tickets as well as payment plans for all. The goal is to make the festival accessible to all who wish to attend.