Fifty‑three summers in, RockyGrass Festival 2025 proved once again why this storied bluegrass music festival is the friendliest family reunion on Earth—only your cousins play twin fiddles, your auntie can shred a banjo break, and total strangers hand you a tube and drag you into the St. Vrain River for a cooldown between sets. Nestled in Lyons, Colorado, Planet Bluegrass wove legends, young guns, and barefoot toddlers into a single, sun‑splashed storyline. Here’s how RockyGrass 2025 unfurled, tarp run to starry finale.

Friday — Grins, Grit & a Farewell for the Ages

After the trademark tarp run, Off The Rails jump‑started the main stage, followed by Mason Via, who blended honky‑tonk swagger with pointed nods to America’s national parks. Mr. Sun’s jazz‑grass gymnastics and the claw‑hammer/fiddle duo of Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves carried us to cocktail hour, where East Nash Grass flexed airtight drive and even roped Ronnie McCoury in for a virtuosic cameo.

Then came Del. The Del McCoury Band—all twinkle‑eyed grace, high‑lonesome harmonies, and a grin that could power the stage lights—reminded RockyGrass why Del remains bluegrass royalty.

But the night belonged to Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, taking their final bow as a unit. Molly’s setlist (from “Eldorado” through that wild “9 to 5 → San Joaquin” encore) played like a heartfelt goodbye to RockyGrass fans. Cameos from Del, Rob, and Ronnie McCoury, plus Lindsay Lou and Kyle Tuttle’s free‑wheeling banjo break, sealed the moment. Lyons didn’t just applaud; it exhaled.

Saturday — Celt-Grass, Shelby’s Debut & Sam Bush’s All-Star Circus

Jake Leg and Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road kept spirits buoyant before Becky Buller Band’s radiant set—Becky beaming while her fiddle swirled around gospel harmonies.

Scotland’s Breabach turned the canyon into a Highland glen with pipes, flutes, and Megan Henderson’s spritely dance (spotted side-stage: Béla Fleck). Colorado heroes The Fretliners followed, summoning Béla for a banjo summit that pushed decibel limits on jaw-drops. AJ Lee & Blue Summit glided next; AJ’s crystal-clear vocal made the sunset feel a shade more golden.

Meanwhile, at the Wildflower Pavilion around 5:00 pm, the afternoon’s final slot marked Shelby Means’ first real show as her own main act. The Shelby Means Band—Shelby with spouse Joel Timmons, plus Golden Highway mates Kyle Tuttle (banjo) and Dominic Leslie (mandolin)—played with wide-open joy. In a sweet passing-the-torch moment, Molly Tuttle stepped in for a song—smiles all around and a clear sign that new chapters are already being written.

Sam Bush Band closed the night by turning the RockyGrass main stage into an all-hands-on-deck jubilee. By the final chorus, Molly Tuttle, AJ Lee, Jeremy Garrett (Infamous Stringdusters), Béla Fleck, and a half-dozen weekend heroes were swapping solos, trading verses, and grinning like kids at recess while the crowd roared beneath the canyon stars.

Sunday — Band-Contest Showdowns, Family Vibes & a Metal-Grass Send-Off

Rose & Grant’s Sunday Set eased us in with turtle songs, Rainbow Connections, and guest cameos. Seth Mulder & Midnight Run followed—sharp suits, sharper picking, and enough charisma to fill both riverbanks.

At 1:00 pm, the Band-Contest Finals turned the Wildflower Pavilion into a pressure cooker of dreams. Each group had just three songs to show instrumental prowess, songwriting, and stage presence—an incredible Planet Bluegrass showcase. Late-teen prodigies the Sullivan Sisters took a proud third place—no small feat—and on the strength of their harmonies and fearless picking, it feels inevitable we’ll see them on the RockyGrass main-stage bill before long. I was sprinting between the Pavilion and main stage, and it was absolutely worth it.

Back on the main stage, The Faux Paws—genre-defiers with sax in the mix—proved again that “just existing is pot-stirring enough,” sneaking in an indie-rock-turned-string-band cover and shouting out Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Lindsay Lou—glowing in all-white, new-mom serenity—sang soul-searches and silver linings, husband Kyle Tuttle orbiting on banjo.

Golden hour belonged to Peter Rowan with Sam Grisman Project. Peter spun Jerry Garcia lore (including how Jerry christened Old and in the Way), slipped into a river-cool “Cold Rain and Snow,” and brought out Lindsay Lou to sing on his own “Mississippi Moon.” Then Béla returned for a sun-splashed “Midnight Moonlight.” Rhonda Vincent & The Rage kept the momentum rolling—Beatles nods, a nine-tempo medley, and powerhouse vocals—proving Colorado’s hippie-grass crowd can two-step with the best of ’em.

All weekend between changeovers, the PA spun twang-tastic bluegrass tributes to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, setting up the finale: The Infamous Stringdusters launching into “Crazy Train” and sending the canyon into joyous chaos. Toddlers on shoulders became part of bluegrass’s first mosh pit as the Dusters rode that energy through a blaze of originals until the creek reclaimed the night.

Why RockyGrass Festival 2025 Matters (And Why I’ll Be Back)

Between main-stage fireworks, the St. Vrain offered glacial relief, its banks dotted with mandolin prodigies and retirees comparing flat-pick scars. The Pavilion hosted whisper-quiet jams and a Shelby Means Band set so spirited it fogged eyeglasses. Everywhere, smiles flashed brighter than the Colorado sun: Grace from Planet Bluegrass kept the photo crew comfortable—water, food and snacks, shaded breaks, ice, and mercifully short bathroom lines—so we could keep our eyes on the music; musicians cheered brethren from side-stage, and kids nodded off on banjo cases.

I snagged cameos with Molly, Shelby, Kyle, and even grabbed a selfie with the ever-gracious Sam Grisman—proof that RockyGrass is less backstage/front-of-house and more one giant communal porch.

Here’s to 53 years of this beautiful chaos, to every tarp-sprinter and tubing toddler, to the legends who paved the way and the newcomers keeping bluegrass vibrant. RockyGrass Festival 2026, we’re already counting the days—just follow the sound of the river and the ring of that first G-run.