Wood Box Heroes at the 2025 Midwinter Bluegrass Festival – photo © Kevin Slick
The Colorado bluegrass scene celebrated this past weekend at the annual Midwinter Bluegrass Festival in true Rocky Mountain style with snow, frigid temperatures, and non-stop music. Inside a comfy hotel, of course, that featured some of the brightest lights in the current bluegrass world.
The festival, started by Colorado music legend Ken Seaman in 1986, has been the gathering place and family reunion for the southwestern pickers for close to 40 years now, with only a few missed years during the pandemic. After Ken passed away in 2021 there was some question as to whether the festival would continue. Fortunately Ben Slocumb and Dianne Stober, aka Ryegrass Productions, took over the festival and have not only continued the tradition but expanded it by adding an extra day to the festival. Midwinter now goes from Friday through Sunday night, allowing more time for bands on stage, as well as jamming in every possible square inch of the hotel taking advantage of the President’s Day weekend.
This year’s line up included Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam, Wood Box Heroes, Sister Sadie, Mike Compton & Joe Newberry, Damn Tall Buildings, along with Colorado favorites The Blue Canyon Boys, Jake Leg, Charlie Stevens Band, Ragged Union and Ms. Amy and the Jet Set.
