Back To Previous PageIt's that time of the year again for one of Fort Collins most popular festivals - Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest! The 13th-annual NewWestFest, a free three-day music festival held in historic downtown Fort Collins, will take place Aug. 11-13 and will showcase a lineup with 80-plus bands, seven stages of continuous entertainment and more than 250 specialty, art and food booths.
The music lineup for the 2017 Bohemian Nights NewWestFest features a diverse offering of new, emerging and established Colorado bands, as well as nightly performances by national headliners Leftover Salmon (Aug. 11), Cake (Aug. 12) and Brandi Carlile (Aug. 13).
As mentioned before, the festival is completely FREE all weekend and has plenty of family friendly activities to go along with all the great music. There are two main sections designated specifically for kids at the festival. Located in the Library Park Courtyard is the Kids’ Music Adventure, which allows kids of all ages to make their own instruments, interact with real instruments, enjoy live musical performances, participate in fun music workshops and more. The second children’s area is the Kids’ World, produced by the Downtown Fort Collins Business Association. This area includes bouncy castles, a giant slide, an obstacle course, games and more. Carnival Bucks for Kids’ World may be purchased at the intersection of Mathews Street and Olive Street.
Important Festival Information:
Festival Hours: Friday 5-10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
250+ Vendor Booths: Festivalgoers can browse fine art and specialty booths, learn about nonprofit organizations and enjoy a variety of food and beverages.
Mobile App: Information about Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest – including the festival lineup, information about bands, the festival map, FAQs and information about Kids’ Music Adventure – is available on the Bohemian Nights mobile app, available for iOS and Android. The app will also provide up-to-the-minute information in case of inclement weather or other unplanned occurrences.
Transportation
Public Transportation: MAX bus service will operate during all festival hours. Visit www.ridetransfort.com or download the TransFort mobile app for information about schedules and fares.
Bike Parking: Attendees are encouraged to use bike parking, available for the duration of the festival. There are two temporary bike parking locations: on Walnut Street near the intersection of Linden Street, and near the southeast corner of Peterson Street and Olive Street. Bicycles left at temporary parking after the conclusion of the festival will be removed at the owner’s expense.
Skateboard Parking: There is a skateboard parking structure available for use in Old Town Square at the intersection of Trimble Court Alley and Whitton Alley. Skateboards are not allowed in the Mountain Avenue venue.
Car Parking: Parking is available in the Old Town Parking Structure, on the corner of Remington Street and Mountain Avenue, and in the Civic Center Parking Structure, on the corner of Mason Street and Laporte Avenue. Parking is available at regular rates on Friday, $5 all day Saturday and free all day Sunday. Parking also is available on public streets around the festival, except on those streets closed for the festival.
Safety and Security
Headliner Performances: The Mountain Avenue venue is where headliners perform. The venue is broken into sections and a queueing system is used to track venue capacity. All personal items will be searched upon entrance to the venue all day long. The Mountain Avenue venue is general admission, and is expected to reach capacity for headliner performances. Entrance to the venue will be closed when the venue reaches capacity. Festivalgoers who leave the venue must re-enter from the main entrance, and will not be able to re-enter if the venue has reached capacity. Portable toilets will be available within each section, and water and beer will be available for purchase within each section.
Prohibited Items: All personal items are subject to search throughout the festival. Alcohol not purchased at the festival and smoking of any kind are prohibited, as are drugs, weapons of any kind and fireworks. Glass bottles, large backpacks, coolers, lawn chairs, blankets and selfie sticks also are prohibited.
Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the festival and in downtown Fort Collins.
Weather: If severe weather occurs, including lightning, strong continuous wind, wind bursts or hail, Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest may delay or even cancel shows. In the event of severe weather, please seek shelter in a permanent structure as directed by event security. Announcements will be made from the stages regarding delays, cancellations or evacuation procedures. Weather updates also will be posted on the mobile app, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Safety is the responsibility of all attendees.
