Enjoying live music, lunch and community: A little boy sits on a man’s shoulders while listening to an original song by Ashlei Priest on Sunday, June 18. PHOTO BY AMANDA J GODFREY[/caption]

The Jamestown Mercantile presented brunch and music in the park this Father’s Day, Sunday, June 18, 2023. The café was filled to the brim, the line of customers leaking out the door. The park across the street was furnished with picnic tables, tents, and chairs for patrons to enjoy the food, nice weather, and the live musical performance of Ashlei Kendall Priest.

Ashlei Priest is a musician based out of Boulder, Colorado. The singer, songwriter, and acoustic guitarist performs all over the Front Range from Lyons to Nederland. When describing her songwriting process, Priest explains how the endeavor is not an exact science.

“When I’m writing I don’t stick to chords that I know,” said Priest. “I kind of just, like, put my fingers places and see what sounds good… it’s a mixture of experimenting and intentional.”

The musician originally reached out to the Jamestown Mercantile through their Facebook page to see if they needed live entertainment. After listening to a few of her pieces, the café let her take the stage. For Priest, being able to play outside in a place like Jamestown is a special treat.

“Being outside is the best. And I do feel like people who come to this event or come to Jamestown to see music, like they’re here to see music,” said Priest. “They know because [the Mercantile] is such a repetitive institution for music in this area.”

While the live music did have a seated audience, there were also listeners on wheels. Jamestown is along a popular biking route through the mountain country roads, with numerous bikers climbing the steep slopes from Lee Hill Drive to James Canyon Drive. Many recreational athletes stopped to listen to the music, happy to enjoy the atmosphere and the long-awaited nice weather.

“[There’s been] just so much rain and finally a sunny Father’s Day,” said a biker, Ryan Anderson.

Many of the brunch-goers were from out of town, making this trip their first time in Jamestown. Mike Clinton and his family are from all different areas across the Front Range but came to Jamestown to enjoy the Father’s Day festivities. This was the family’s first taste of the Mercantile’s menu and they are excited to come back for more.

“It’s amazing! We’ll be here again though, it’s really good,” said Clinton.

Be on the lookout for more music and festivities from the Jamestown Mercantile!

For more information about the Jamestown Mercantile, please visit their website at https://www.jamestownmercantile.com/.

For more information about Ashlei Priest, check out her Instagram @ ashleipriest.