Cultivating community, creating a vehicle for inspiration and nurturing that energetic link between nature, music and family: these are the ethos that birthed and chiseled WinterWonderGrass.

Behind-the-scenes festival sage Scotty Stoughton founded the hardy Colorado winter showcase in 2013, gathering the best in local and national bluegrass, Americana and roots music alongside independent community-minded brewers.

“WinterWonderGrass was not created to be something, to grow into anything,” Stoughton says. “It was simply a space to serve the music of the artists and brewers we loved. I felt there was a serious gap at that time where great music events had subpar beer, and beer festivals lacked good music.”

To launch, Stoughton put his home up as collateral and went all-in with up-and-comers Greensky Bluegrass and The Infamous Stringdusters. The sold-out party quickly outgrew Crazy Mountain Brewery’s parking lot and flitted around Eagle County before landing at its new home in 2019 in Steamboat Springs, where headliners like Railroad Earth and Leftover Salmon resulted in three-day sold out crowds. Sister WonderGrass events sprouted in Lake Tahoe, California and Stratton, Vermont (Stoughton is an East Coast native), and the ski town scenes evolved with kids’ tickets and activities (think face painting, hula hooping and crafts), late-night VIP shows and interactive experiences. In April 2023, fans swap snow for sand at the first ever BajaWonderGrass.

“This festival really hits home for me coming from the North. There’s something about fully embracing the great outdoors in all its magnificence that gives the music a vivid glow like you’ve never experienced it before,” says bluegrass powerhouse Lindsay Lou.

Ballooning from 1,400 curious fans to more than 5,000 music lovers pouring in each day, the mission has never wavered. WinterWonderGrass places the quality of the experience over the quantity of attendees, uniting artists, fans and the planet. Anyone who has bundled up to boogie down at this winter hootenanny can attest that there’s something euphoric and electric about intricate bluegrass floating on simple snowflakes.

“When WinterWonderGrass started, there were only a few festivals curating a lineup of progressive bluegrass and string bands, and no one was crazy enough to throw a party outside in a Colorado winter,” says Infamous Stringdusters bassist Travis Book. “That first year, we were hit with freezing temps and blowing wind, but it didn’t stop anyone from absolutely throwing down!”

Stand Up Paddle Colorado co-founder and the force behind Campout for the Cause, Stoughton says he never saw his grassroots gathering getting this big. “The first WinterWonderGrass event was seriously a dream and a prayer,” he says. “My team was stretched to the limit, and I don't think anyone slept the entire weekend, but we pulled it off.”

Bands are invited to WonderGrass stages based on their quality of character, Stoughton notes. Groups that want to spend time in the community, ski the slopes, jam with friends, soak in the hot springs and genuinely contribute to the mountain village vibrancy are a big part of what shapes this special festival.

“10 years has gone by fast, and lately, I have made a commitment to slow down and truly enjoy the experience that we have created for so many,” Stoughton says. “Life is over in a blink; we want to inspire everyone to focus on what unites us, instead of divides us.”

Join the 10th Anniversary Party

WinterWonderGrass Colorado

Steamboat Ski Resort

March 3–5, 2023

General, VIP and lift tickets are on sale now at winterwondergrass.com.

Originally published in the Winter 2022-23 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Colorado’s Homegrown WinterWonderGrass Festival Turns 10: Fest Founder Scotty Stoughton Reflects On A Decade Of Strings + Snow

Join the 10th Anniversary Party