What's new at the Fort Collins Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest

Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest, a community arts and music festival, is Aug. 12, 13, & 14 and offers over 120 free music, dance, kids’ and performing arts performances. Over 80 Colorado bands are in the 2011 Bohemian Nights music lineup, showcasing our talented local musicians. Lots of new additions are being incorporated in the festival this year so that people are able to enjoy it to the fullest.

Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest 2011
August 12-14 (kick-off concert only Friday, August 12 on Mountain Avenue)
Downtown Fort Collins, Colorado

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Visit the nine entertainment stages with 120 free performances throughout the weekend. The stages are located at: Mountain Ave Stage, Old Town Square Stage, Library Park Stage, Linden Street Stage, Singer-Songwriter Stage (inside Creative Garden), Kids’ Music Adventure Stage, Kids’ World Stage, The Performing Arts Stage and the Dance Showcase Stage.

Festival hours:
Friday Kick Off Concerts: 5:30-10 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. with concerts continuing till 10:00pm
Sunday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Info booths:
Located at Mountain Ave. / Mathews Street and at Oak / Mathews Street. Pick up sunscreen, bug spray and report any lost and found items.

Parking:
Located at both parking garages (Old Town Parking Structure and Civic Center Parking Garage) and along the surrounding Downtown streets. Bikes are encouraged with lots of bike parking located at entrances to the festival.

Kids’ World:
A lively kids’ area for families, including pony rides, petting zoos, inflatable slides, an obstacle course, a kids’ carnival, a performance stage and Kids’ Music Adventure.

Kids’ Music Adventure is a FREE event for families and geared toward children ages 5-12. KMA features for 2011 include the Expanded Paparazzi Tent Experience, music workshops, Little Shop of Physics (Saturday only), Discovery Science Center, Philomusica, Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County, Dr. Noize, and bands performing throughout the weekend.

The Singer-Songwriter Stage (Last year called the Acoustic Stage) is located in Beet Street’s Creative Garden at Remington parking lot, between Oak and Olive. There will be performances throughout the weekend by Fort Collins and Colorado musicians. This stage offers a tented area to create a shady haven from the heat and to listen to great, original Colorado music.

Beer gardens:
Located at Library Park Area and at the Mountain Ave Main Stage Area.
No pets allowed on festival grounds except service dogs.

New at Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest:
Free water stations will be located throughout the festival. Fill up your water bottle and stay hydrated! Provided by the Fort Collins Downtown Business Association, Bohemian Nights, LLC and The City of Fort Collins.

Welcome entryways:
There are three entrances to the festival this year at Mountain and College (where vendor booths begin), Oak and College (leading into the Creative Garden) and at Olive and Peterson (leading into the Kids’ World Area. Each entrance will have a Welcome Station with festival and music guides available.

The music merchandise tent located on Walnut Street is a great new addition to the festival this year. Fans may purchase Colorado band merchandise, meet the artists and win free prizes. Additionally, with the purchase of any Colorado band merchandise (while supplies last and limited to one per customer), attendees will get a FREE Bohemian Nights stainless steel water bottle to fill at free water stations located throughout the festival. Other Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest merchandise will be on sale as well.

New at the Mountain Avenue Stage Area:
Three bands will kick off the festival weekend on Friday night starting at 5:30 p.m. We’ve moved this concert to Mountain Avenue for better viewing experiences!
The Mountain Avenue Stage will have three large LED video screens to help showcase all the main stage action! Two screens will flank the stage and the third will be out front, behind the sound booth. Festivalgoers can feel like they’re in the front row almost anywhere along Mountain Avenue.

Friday night only:
Linden Street Lawn Chair Lounge and Block Party will allow festivalgoers to catch a live simulcast of G. Love & Special Sauce, Cracker and The Lionel Young Band concert on a big screen. While these bands are playing at the Mountain Avenue Stage, festivalgoers can bring their lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the show on the Linden Street big screen.

“The Linden Street Friday Night Lawn Chair Lounge and Block Party” will be the only opportunity for festivalgoers to kick back while they watch a main stage act. The Lionel Young Band performs at 5:40 p.m. on the Mountain Stage followed by Cracker at 7 p.m. and G. Love at 8:30 p.m., so come early to get a good space on Linden Street. There will be food, cold beverages and giveaways.

Foot traffic around the Mountain Avenue Stage will be more streamlined this year. Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, the sidewalks on each side of the Mountain Avenue Stage Area will be closed to foot traffic. After 5:30pm the ONLY entrance into the Mountain Avenue Stage Area will be at the Mountain Avenue and Mathews Street intersection. Once inside the Mountain Avenue Stage area, festivalgoers must exit to the west and re-enter at Mountain and Mathews.

Back again but in a new and improved location, Beet Street’s Creative Garden will transform the Remington parking lot (located between Olive and Oak, just west of Remington) into an artistic oasis. The Bohemian Nights Singer-Songwriter Stage will be located at the south end of Beet Street’s Creative Garden and will alternate performances with Beet Street’s Performing Arts Stage. Performances will run thirty minutes and are scheduled every half-hour, 11:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

All details, maps, performance lineups at www.DowntownFortCollins.com Music schedules also available at www.bohemiannights.org