PEAK TO PEAK - The inaugural Peak to Peak People’s festival took place on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Gilpin County Community Barn.

It featured four bands, food trucks, 19 booths of civic organizations, and a yak. It was a day-long celebration of fall, community, and common bonds.

The People’s Festival was in a county fair format, with events on the main stage and booths around the grounds.

The booths at the People’s Festival featured public or civic service organizations like the local Rotary Club. The band stage was on the east side of the barn, with hay bales to sit on for those listening to the bands.

The Festival was free for folks to attend, listen to the bands, and visit the booths to talk with representatives of the organizations.

The four local bands that played during the festival played lengthy sets with toe tapping music and a variety of styles. These were Eric Stone, Strangebyrds, Windy Pines, and Graveyard Choir.

Food trucks and an ice cream truck were parked on the north side of the building with tables outside for eating and admiring the view.

The beer and wine stations were in the barn. Adults had to get a wrist band to buy beer or wine at the venue. Augustina’s Wine from Nederland provided the wine, and Very Nice Brewery provided the beer.

The People’s Festival was organized and hosted by the Gilpin County Democratic Party to celebrate Fall and the Peak to Peak community.

According to People’s Festival organizer Gregg Petty, the festival attracted 350 - 400 people. Most were locals but there were some tourists who came up to see the aspen leaves and stopped by.

A number of elected representatives showed up during the Festival, including CD2 Representative Joe Neguse, Colorado HD49 Representative Lesley Smith, Colorado Senate President James Coleman, and CD2 Colorado Board of Education representative Kathy Gebhardt.

Between bands, speakers related their experiences of community. There were calls to action to get involved and stay involved for help keep the community healthy and safe.

The most popular booth at the Peoples’ Festival was G.R.A.S.S.-F.E.D. Guardians and their yak, Bull Murray, who provided rides for little kids. Anthony Ricketts, who founded the nonprofit to promote sustainable agriculture practices through education, keeps a herd of yaks near Rollinsville. Ricketts let small children ride Bull Murray around the grounds.

Two busy booths were Sunflower Seeds Ukraine and the Kobzar Ukrainian Heritage School, both seeking donations to help the Ukrainian people.

Neguse stopped by and chatted with board members Cindy Goodrich and Susan Simone of Canyon Cares about their program. Canyon Cares provides short term financial assistance for the necessities and urgent needs of neighbors, helping people in Coal Creek Canyon, Nederland, Ward, Rollinsville, Black Hawk, Central City, and unincorporated Gilpin County.

The Peak to Peak Rotary sold funnel cakes, while the Gilpin County Food Pantry collected food and cash donations.

The weather and changing colors contributed to a beautiful fall day for celebrating the fall season and the Peak to Peak community at the 2025 Peak to Peak People’s Festival.

For more information about the Gilpin Dems, visit their website at gilpincountydems.org or email gilpindemschair@gmail.com.

Those wanting more information about Anthony Ricketts and his yaks can visit grassfedguardians.com.

Interested in Ukraine? See sunflowerseedsukraine.org and ukrainiansofcolorado.org. Canyon Cares tells its story at canyoncares.org.

Peak to Peak Rotary can be found at peak2peakpeach.com. And check out the Gilpin Food Pantry at gilpincounty.colorado.gov/departments-offices/human-services/food-pantry.