America’s Mountain Festival Earns Rave Reviews

Premiere Red Dirt Music Event Held July 5, 2025

WOODLAND PARK, CO, UNITED STATES, July 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- America’s Mountain Festival (AMF), held on July 5, 2025, at Woodland Station in downtown Woodland Park, was a success, according to festival founder Derek Waggoner, the CEO of the Tava Investor Group, which is building the Tava House property at Woodland Station.

Local headlines included, “Music festival shows what’s possible.” “Move Over Nashville!” “Music Festival Gets Rave Reviews.”

URL: https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/music-festival-shows-whats-posssible/article_cba76fa9-4a40-45bf-9663-2d502e465198.html

URL: https://www.mountainjackpot.com/2025/07/16/move-over-nashville/

https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/from-wildflowers-to-red-dirt-guest-column/article_321304e5-fd00-4ea3-8865-6d84c3e89d8e.html

“Ticket holders traveled from Texas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Kansas,” Waggoner said. “The crowd included many visitors from all over Colorado, along with our local music fans who love Country Western and have had to go elsewhere to experience this uniquely American genre.”

“From the first guitar strums to the raindrops, the first-ever America’s Mountain Festival conveyed a strong message,” said The Mountain Jackpot News. “Red Dirt and country rock run deep in the Teller (County) high country.”

Performers were:

Ned LeDoux, the singer-songwriter and son of country legend Chris LeDoux:
He has built a career honoring his forebears while still forging his own path. LeDoux, who has been releasing solo music since 2017 but has been a touring musician since his teenage years, has infused all his records with realistic stories of life as a cowboy, his relationship with music royalty, and the pain and joy that infuse his work.

On his latest album, touchingly titled Safe Haven (out April 4, 2025), after the tragic loss of his daughter, he uses the memories of those he has lost to help him carry on with joy, celebration, and faith that they are guiding his work.

There’s a tribute to his late father in the form of ‘One Hand in the Riggin’, which magically features Ned singing along with a vocal performance his dad tracked 20 years ago. Safe Haven is, far and away, the artistic statement LeDoux has always wanted to make. “My songwriting maturity is more confident than it’s ever been before,” he explains before adding that his fans will still recognize some of his signature style.

Michael Martin Murphey:
Murphey’s musical journey has taken many paths over the past 50 years. Topping the Pop, Country, Western and Bluegrass charts, this loyal American son from Texas, is best known for his chart-topping hits “Wildfire,” Carolina In The Pines,” “What’s Forever For,” “Cowboy Logic,” and many more across his 35 albums released to date. In the early 80’s, Murphey topped the Country Charts with the “Still Taking Chances” single. Twelve years after his first hit in Pop music, Murphey was awarded “Best New Artist” by the Academy of Country Music (beating out George Strait). In 1985, Murphey performed with the New Mexico Symphony in a concept he titled “A Night in the American West,” which led to performances with American and Canadian symphonies, including the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.

Murphey’s original songs have been recorded by Kenny Rogers, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Denver, Hoyt Axton, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Billy Ray Cyrus, and many others.

Jon Wolfe:
Wolfe is a country singer and songwriter. “Country music, as it was, is and always should be, with boots firmly standing on the bedrock of tradition and an eye focused on taking it into the future. And that, as any fan of true country knows, is no simple proposition,” said Wolfe. From small-town Oklahoma to the bustling big city commodities trading floor to the dance halls and honky-tonks of Texas and Oklahoma to Music Row, Wolfe’s faith in the power of music brings a determination to touch the hearts of others with something that means so much to him.

His 2010 release, “It All Happened In A Honky Tonk,” became such a regional success that it was re-released as a Deluxe Edition by Warner Music Nashville in 2013. The album debuted at #34 on the Billboard Album Chart.

Curtis Grimes:
With over 50 million digital streams, more than 100,000 albums sold, and eighteen #1 singles on the Texas Country Music Chart, complemented by a #1 on the National Power Source Christian Country Chart, Grimes has proven to be a force in the country music industry that can't be denied.
In 2014, Grimes’ hit single “Home to Me” was picked up by the salon chain “Supercuts” and placed in the mainstream spotlight. In 2019, he was named "Entertainer of the Year" at the Texas Country Music Association Awards

Multi-award-winning Red Dirt radio personality 'Double J' John Jones served as the EMCEE for the inaugural America’s Mountain Festival. “Double J has an impressive track record and was perfect to be the festival master of ceremonies,” said Michael Perini, AMF Public Information Director.
AMF presented itself as a celebration of Western music, art, and culture. “We are honored to have these nationally known country-western/red dirt performers,” said Waggoner.

Red Dirt music is a gritty, rootsy fusion of country, rock, folk, and Americana that started in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and later spread into Texas. It gets its name from the unique red soil in that area, but the term now represents a musical attitude as much as a geographic origin,” Jones said.

The festival also featured a wide variety of food vendors, mountain arts, and other activities to keep folks entertained all day long.

Also present was Clint Vahsholtz, a 24-time winner of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on motorcycles and 21 21-time winner in race cars.

“This kind of event requires a skilled team to succeed,” said Heather Burrows, Festival Operations Director. “Credit goes to everyone on the inaugural committee. Everyone worked very hard to make Waggoner’s vision a reality.”

The crowd supported sponsors and vendors. “We are truly grateful to the Woodland Park city officials and to everyone who took a chance on this inaugural festival,” Burrows said. ‘We’ve gained valuable insights from the inaugural event and appreciate all feedback.”

Social media comments and phone calls have raised the question: Will the festival return in 2026? “Yes. Planning has begun. The musical lineup and date have not been set yet,” said Waggoner.

A “recruiting” list for volunteers is now open. Visit the AMF website to sign up. Organizers are looking for individuals who are passionate about the vision and want to bring new experiences to Woodland Park.

Free admission was provided to active-duty military members and local first responders. A portion of the festival proceeds supported the Northeast Teller County Fire Department in Woodland Park.

To volunteer for the event, please register at:
https://americasmountainfestival.com/volunteers

2025 FESTIVAL SPONSORS:

Tava House
Park State Bank and Trust
Charis Bible College
Colorado Homes & Land Group, eXp Realty
Black Bear Bourbon
Paragon Culinary School
Lamb Excavating
Thomas General Contractors
Microtel/Woodland County Lodge
Solid Grounds Coffee House
Teller Wifi
The Cowhand
The Case Advantage
Colorado Gear Lab/Zebz’s Outfooters
Great Western Ranch and Land
Altitude Motorsports
Rocky Mountain Sound, Light & Video
Farmers Insurance – Bradley Agency
Team Sato Realty
Tweeds Fine Furnishings
Rainbow Valley Ranch
PBJ Cattle Company
Colorado Horse Hay
Great Outdoors Adventures
Bierwerks
Earthwise Waste Solutions
Historic Triple B Ranch
Ninnifly

ABOUT THE AMERICA’S MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL.
The inaugural musical festival was held in Woodland Park, CO. See more about the 2025 festival.

Follow us on Facebook about announcements for 2026.
https://www.facebook.com/americasmountainfestivalwp.

Check out our "X" account: https://x.com/americasmof2025

Yes, AMF is on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americasmountainfestival

Visit our website at https://americasmountainfestival.com.

Michael Perini
America's Mountain Festival
+1 719-651-5943
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