The Mish to Make Opening Splash with Return of Waterfront Music Festival

By Charlie Englar
The Waterfront Music Festival will once again return to the Mishawaka Amphitheatre May 20-22 for the second annual gathering. Many of the same artists who graced the stage last year will be on hand for this year’s version of the Silverfox Productions event.
The heavily bluegrass-leaning lineup features Fort Collins’ own Head for the Hills as the headliner for the festival, while also boasting favorites such as Greensky Bluegrass, The Drew Emmitt Band, Euforquestra, Larry Keel, Good Gravy, Great American Taxi and many more.
“I try and book bands that will likely fit in with each other and give the audience a unique experience. There are so many festivals nowadays that you really need to make yours special. It’s nice never knowing what you’ll see,” said Travis Albright, head of Silverfox Productions.
The music will start Friday evening and run well into Sunday night. Single-day music passes and single-day camping passes are available; however, a full weekend pass and camping passes are near sell-out status. Furthermore, the official campsite for the fest has been approved to be in the Poudre Canyon.
“The official camping for the festival has just been approved to take place in the canyon this year. However, the capacity is limited to 300. At the time of this interview, there are only 50 spaces remaining… go to themishawaka.com for more information,” said Albright.
Beyond logistics, it seems the people running this festival have the right philosophical approach in place – When talking about the idea behind the Waterfront Festival, Albright had a lot to say.
“We wanted create an event in an area that was off the beaten path with great natural surroundings. The Mish seemed to be an obvious choice. We try and create an atmosphere more reminiscent of a family reunion than a large, corporate production. I find that when folks are comfortable with their surroundings, there is less of a chance of any bad incidents.”
Albright went on to elaborate on the working relationship with Part-Owner/General Manager Dani Grant, saying, “It’s been great. Dani and the rest of the new management reached out to us immediately. There have been many changes to the Mish. But, after last year’s success of three sold-out nights without incident, The Waterfront Music Festival will become a Mishawaka tradition.”
The heavily publicized ownership change at the Mishawaka has come and gone with many positive reviews of the new owners and positive upgrades to the facilities. Patrons, in turn, will no doubt find many of the things they remember to be un-changed at the “new” Mish. The vibe, beauty, band energies and friendly and familiar faces are sure to greet festivalgoers.
A few final things to keep in mind when planning for this year’s Waterfront Fest are the lowered capacity from 908 to 752 for the venue and the shuttle situation.
“The shuttles will be run by Super Shuttle from here on out. They will be free to those in the official campground and $5 at local pick-up locations in Ft. Collins and Longmont,” said Albright.
Visit themishawaka.com or silverfoxpresents.com for more information on the shuttle, ticket prices, camping and more.