Live music and festivities filled Very Nice Brewery for the Fourth of July
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There is more than one way to skin a corn dog.
Yankee Poodle dandy.
Toy trucks weren't just for boys.
High Lonesome's Chuck Sitero was neither high nor lonely.
Jake Leg's Eric Wiggs on guitar.
Red, white, and blue outfits were all the rage.
Dancing spanned generations.
Kylie: When you're good, you don't need a last name.
Adam Pause making the most of his spare time.
GILPIN COUNTY — Mountain residents didn’t have to spend too much time in the pursuit of happiness on Independence Day—it was nearby and easily achieved at the Very Nice Brewery Company at 180 Jankowski Drive outside Black Hawk.
Held at a different venue than last year, it was the 4th of July Community Celebration hosted by Peak to Peak Music Education Association (PPMEA). A slice of life involving people at liberty to enjoy Very Nice’s wide array of craft beer, the party began at 2:30 p.m. with the vocal stylings of Brittney Wagner.
Kids were active on the slide, in the sandbox, and at an arts & crafts table that had been set up for them. Sending soap bubbles floating through the air kept the children entertained for hours.
“I’ve had years of cramped-up city life / Trapped like a duck in a pen / All I know is it’s a pity life / Can’t be simple again” was banjoist Adam Pause’s sentiment during his rendition of the Osborne Brothers’ “Rocky Top.” Fortunately for him, Pause has already attained a simpler and more fulfilling life on “Rocky Top” by running his feed store in Nederland and performing music in his spare time.
More bluegrass continued when the band Jake Leg took the stage. International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2024 Momentum Band of the Year winner, their evocative melodies prove that within every note lies both a connection to the past and the promise of a bold new musical future.
First there was Cher, then Madonna and Jewel. Now we have Kylie, another one-name music artist. She filled the grounds with her beautiful voice and guitar.
A return act from last year’s celebration, High Lonesome kept guests well-entertained, taking 2026’s version to the finish line.
Since 2012, PPMEA supports local musicians and hosts music events to raise money for music education programs that benefit local kids in the Peak to Peak region. This year’s proceeds from the Fourth of July Celebration were donated to the Gilpin County School music department.
PPMEA and the Gilpin Democrats raised nearly $17,000 at the Benefit for the Village concert held at the Caribou Room last November to help businesses lost in the Caribou Village fire.
To learn more about Peak to Peak Music Education Association, go to peakmusic.org.
