In this special RockyGrass episode, we sit down with Steve Szymanski, co-founder of Planet Bluegrass, the visionary behind Telluride Bluegrass, Folks Fest, and RockyGrass. Steve shares how a chance encounter in the late ’80s led him into the bluegrass world and eventually to shaping the thriving festival culture we know today.

We dive into:

• 🌱 The Origin Story – How a struggling festival and a meeting on the streets of Boulder sparked the creation of Planet Bluegrass.
• 🏔️ Building RockyGrass – From dusty fairgrounds and zoning battles to establishing Lyons, CO as a year-round home for music.
• 🎶 Balancing Tradition & Evolution – The delicate art of honoring bluegrass purists while embracing adventurous sounds and adjacent genr ...