Let’s get this straight from the start: MeadowGrass isn’t only bluegrass — it’s about so much more. For 17 years, music lovers have gathered in Black Forest over Memorial Day weekend for a wide-ranging collection of Americana, folk, blues, rock, reggae, soul, yes bluegrass and manner of styles from excellent bands and singer-songwriters. And off stage there’s a full array of activities, workshops and community-building fun. The annual festival signals the beginning of summer, and there’s magic in the air every year at the Springs’ longest running music festival.
“The core experience of MeadowGrass is to get out in nature, kick off the summer, enjoy the forest and dance around in the meadow, and the music is a huge part of that,” says Festival Director Kate Rainwater. “And then we’re adding in those other holistic things that create community or support our community.”
Altogether MeadowGrass keeps bringing the music-loving community and eclectically excellent bands and artists back to Black Forest year after year. This year is no exception. MeadowGrass Musical Festival 2026 happens May 22-24.
If you’ve been, there’s a good chance you’re returning. If you have never been, here are our Top 10 reasons why you should go. And they will give you an intro of what to expect. We’re also giving away two free weekend passes — with camping! Enter now, so you don’t miss your chance to win.
Top 10 Reasons We Love MeadowGrass
1. The Music
MeadowGrass is known for featuring the best bands you’ve never heard of — yet. Credit the consistently stellar lineups to Steve Harris, the Man Behind the Music, who has curated the musical lineups since 2010. His collections are always an eclectic mix of local, regional and national artists, and time and time again, Harris has proven his knack for bringing in rising stars on the verge of breaking out — the kind of artists you get to say, “Hey, I saw them before they started playing Red Rocks.” (For samples, check out this Best of MeadowGrass playlist.)
“For the 17th Annual MeadowGrass Music Festival, we are leaning into Colorado’s wealth of musical talent, bringing back some of our favorite artists while also introducing our audience to up and coming bands,” Harris says.
Headliners include ALO, the Nershi Hann Trio and the Kyle Hollingsworth Band — both side projects by members of the jamgrass juggernaut String Cheese Incident, Banshee Tree and Shook Twins.
From top to bottom, the lineup includes national standouts and local favorites, but we’ve already written an entire article about the Highlights of the MeadowGrass 2026 Lineup that you can dive deeper into.
2. There’s Always Something New — Like a Marching Band?!
Yes, you read that correctly. The Front Range marching band Notes of Dissent will open the meadow this year, parading in with some big, loud bangers like “Seven Nation Army,” “American Idiot,” “Crazy Train” and more.
“I’m an old band nerd from high school, so I was like, what better way to open the meadow than with our own music,” Rainwater says. “So Notes of Dissent is going to kick us off, but anyone that wants to bang a drum or bring a shaker or flag or something, come join in.”
Another big new development is that MeadowGrass will be livestreamed for the first time ever. It will be free to watch, but Rocky Mountain Highway encourages viewers to donate to its livestream partner Jam for Good, a nonprofit supporting children’s hospitals.
Other new additions include a mobile sauna, disc golf and expanded sound bath offerings in the Taylor Memorial Chapel.
3. The Late Night Shows
Some of the most memorable MeadowGrass highlights through the years have happened at the late night performances. After the main stage is done, there’s one more show each night. This year’s late-night shows feature Tejon Street Corner Thieves, Broken Compass and an All-Star Jam hosted by Dylan Teifer.
“Something that happens at MeadowGrass — and that I think is very indicative of the Colorado Springs music culture — is you’ll get different members from different bands jamming together, creating kind of one-off little magical experiences,” Rainwater says. “So we’re recording the late night performances, which is where some of that happens.”
4. The MeadowGrass Beer Festival
What better way to kick off the festival on Friday night than with local craft beer? Goat Patch Brewing is the official beer sponsor of MeadowGrass all weekend. But on Friday night, the MeadowGrass Beer Festival features local brewers, including Manitou Brewing, Bristol Brewing, Phantom Canyon, Gunslinger Brewing Company, OCC Brewing, Voodoo Brewing, Mash Mechanix, Black Forest Brewing, Mad Marmot Meadery, and WhistlePig Whiskey. The beer festival is included with a Friday ticket or weekend pass.
Nonalcoholic beers will be available too. And bloody marys and mimosas will be served on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
5. Camping
You don’t have to camp to attend MeadowGrass — you get to camp if you choose. Whether your style is tent, pop-up, trailer or RV, make your home in the pines, and you won’t miss a thing all weekend. You do need a camping ticket, and you can get those details here. Tent camping spots are still available along with pop-up camper spaces in general camping — plus a few RV spots, which always sell out.
6. Glamping
So camping is not your thing? The Lapp Lodge offers a glamping experience at the back of the meadow. You can sit on the patio and see all the festivities in the meadow. Each room sleeps five people and has its own private bathroom and shower.
7. Yoga, Sound Baths and Workshops
One great feature of a music festival is getting a great big dose of music in one place. Another great feature is getting all the workshops, activities, vendors and peripheral sessions. You can also find your flow at morning yoga sessions on Saturday and Sunday with Jessica Patterson, owner of Root Center for Yoga and Sacred Studies. There’s even kids yoga too on Sunday afternoon. Jo Joy Breedlove with Sacred Sounds will be leading even more therapeutic sound bath sessions this year. And Smokebrush Foundation for the Arts will host a variety of sessions, such as African drumming, dance classes and performances.
8. The Family Friendly Scene
MeadowGrass is a welcoming space for everyone and all ages. Kids 12 and under are free. And the Kid Zone is filled with crafts and interactive activities by Concrete Couch, the Millibo Art Theatre and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The giant bubbles are always a favorite, and the popular tie-dye station will be back again for kids and grown-ups. Of course there will be Hula-Hoops too.
9. The Chill Vibes
Does your mental image of music festivals include huge venues filled with thousands of people crammed into sweaty mosh pits? Yeah, that’s not MeadowGrass. Things are laid-back in the meadow. “It’s not overcrowded,” Rainwater says. “This is homegrown, and this is simple. It’s our 17th year, but there’s a lot of space to enjoy the music, get away in nature and enjoy the beginning of summer.”
10. The Volunteers
“We are 99.9% run by volunteers,” Rainwater says. That’s true from parking lot attendants to the board of directors. In fact, the only paid position at Rocky Mountain Highway is the festival director. But it takes a lot of hours from a lot of people to make an event like MeadowGrass happen and happen smoothly. If you’re looking for a way to score free tickets or just want to lend a hand, you can still sign up to pitch in. Volunteering for one four-hour shift earns you a free day pass. Volunteering for three shifts gets you a full weekend pass with camping. “We are mostly booked, but there are still positions available and we’d love to have anyone interested to join our team,” Rainwater says. You can sign up here.
Get all the MeadowGrass details and tickets at meadowgrass.org. And don’t forget to register here to win our free weekend passes.
Listen to the Artists of MeadowGrass 2026
Tips for MeadowGrass
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Dress for all weather.
It might be sunny. It could rain or snow or hail. It will probably do all of the above. And it will cool down at night in the higher elevation of Black Forest. Bring layers and be prepared. Pack something waterproof. And don’t forget the sunscreen, sun hat or other preferred sun protection. Shade tents are allowed around the back of the lawn.
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Bring something to sit on.
The music will make you want to dance, but you’ll want to sit down sometime. Bring your favorite camping chair or blanket.
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Bring your own water bottle.
To keep things more sustainable, MeadowGrass does not sell plastic water bottles. Instead there are free water stations where you can refill your own water bottle. Bring your favorite and stay hydrated.
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Support the local vendors.
From food trucks and beverage tents of all types, you have lots of options for eating and drinking. Check out the list of vendors here.
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Leave the pets at home.
Sorry, no pets are allowed, so you’ve got to leave all the fur babies, reptiles, birds and any other animals at home. The only exceptions are trained service animals.
For any other questions, check out the MeadowGrass rules.
