New West Fest The Fort Collins Colorado summer season has be capped of with the New West Fest for over twenty years. It is normally celebrated on the third weekend in August. The location like most festivals in this city is in Old Town Fort Collins and surrounding streets. The festival is also used to celebrate the birthday of the city which was established along the banks of the Poudre River in 1863.

In recent years the New West Fest has a major added attraction named Bohemian Nights which is a music venue second to none in Colorado. The music is provided by Bohemian Nights LLC a local philanthropy organization. It is completely free all three days of the festival.

The streets are closed and taken over by more than 300 vendors and service organizations to demonstrate their products and services. You can find everything from artists and their work to pain cream. Also featured are seven stages of continuous running entertainment.

Bohemian Nights at New West Fest features from fifty to sixty bands on five different stages scattered around old town. The main stage in Old Town Square is where thousands gather to hear the music, visit eat and drink.  There is music for all ages including the children. The children's music is held both Saturday and Sunday with both music and music workshops all free. The fifty or so bands are scheduled to start around mid day and continue on all five stages far into the evening.

Also a favorite of the children especially my young granddaughters is the carnival and children's activities in Library Park. Here the small ones get to do there own thing. There is also a playground in the park which is as well used as the festivals attractions. The carnival offers rides and the vendors offer food of the variety that festival and fair goers' everywhere indulge in. There also two stages for music in Library Park

Normally 120,000 to 150,000 attend The New West Fest. This festival has been organized by the downtown business association and sponsored by individual Fort Collins businesses. Since it is being held in downtown there are now over 60 eating and drinking establishments and many dozen unique shops not found elsewhere in the city. There is plenty of parking in the two parking structures while the streets.

The street vendors is usually where I spend most of my time. For it is here that the individual creative genius of Fort Collins and area residents stand out. A friend of mine has started a custom salsa company and I always stop buy to sample new flavors form his kitchen. Here you will also find many local artists and their work. There is usually, glass, jewelry, paintings, drawings and always the tie die people are there too. It is a good place to find a unique gift or two.

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