Enjoy a mustard-smothered bratwurst and a cold brew while listening to award-winning Front Range bands including the 17th Street All Stars, Taylor Martin and the Felonius Smith Trio. Vendors will also offer roasted corn on the cob, funnel cakes, fresh squeezed lemonade, roasted almonds and dessert.
Entertainment varies from jazz to rock ‘n roll to country music. Performing on Saturday, Sept. 24 are Elk Hollow, Brad Fitch, the 17th Street all-Stars and the Dennis-Tobias Band. Sunday's artists are Taylor Marvin, the Felonius Smith Trio and Dick Orleans.
Bring the kids. Free family activities include face painting, soap bubbles, corn bag toss, a bouncing room and rides in a fire engine and antique cars. The fun is all free but for the food and beverages.
One highlight of Autumn Gold is the popular raffle, with the winner taking home the grand prize of $5,000. Additional prizes include a $2,500 runner-up prize and various other cash awards.
Raffle tickets are $25 each. Tickets can be purchased at the festival before the drawing begins on Sunday. All proceeds benefit Sunrise Rotary (organizer of the event) vocational scholarships and various local and international projects.
The music lineup is:
Saturday, Sept. 24
11 a.m. Elk Hollow
Gary Reeves and Jack Overly of Elk Hollow have been performing together for more than 10 years. The two play a variety of songs from many eras in their own acoustic style that also includes American and Irish folk songs and original compositions.
1 p.m. Brad Fitch
Brad Fitch specializes in original acoustic folk, family and Western music, with John Denver songs a favorite. He performs folk music and songs written about the places he has traveled.
3 p.m. 17th Street All-Stars
Since beginning in Denver more than a decade ago, the 17th Avenue All-Stars have been recognized as one of the bright stars of contemporary a cappella. Three-time Western Regional A Cappella Winners, the All-Stars achieved top honors in 1993 as National A Cappella Champions at the Harmony Sweepstakes. The group's soulful renditions of popular music cover a wide variety of musical styles and span five decades of hits.
5 p.m. The Dennis-Tobias Band
The Dennis-Tobias Band treats its audience to a mixture of dance, classic rock, folk, modern country, blues and original music with vivid three part harmonies. Return to the 60s, 70s and 80s with the Beatles, Heart, Tina Turner, Jefferson Airplane and the music from many other groups.
Sunday, Sept. 25
11 a.m. Taylor Marvin
Taylor Marvin's mastery of the guitar is a surprise to new listeners as well as veteran players he shares the stage with. Taylor performs a wide range of styles including rock, country, classic, ska, fingerstyle and the blues.
1 p.m. Felonius Smith Trio
Drawing his inspiration from the songs and styles of artists like Tampa Red and Fred McDowell, Felonius Smith's national slide and snappy finger picking guitar style transports one back some 80 years, relaxing on a river bank in southern Mississippi.
3 p.m. Dick Orleans
For more than 25 years, Dick Orleans has been singing and playing guitar at one of the many venues in Estes Park. In the late 1970s, Orleans traveled the country with his guitar playing as a solitary act and on tour with such folk legends as Glenn Yarbrough.
