CASE Committee Packet Materials 2025.10.16970-748-4065 ddempsey@avon.org
TO: CASE Committee FROM: Danita Dempsey, Chief Cultural Officer
RE: Staff Update
DATE: October 8, 2025
SUMMARY: At the direction of Council, for the last 4-years, the Town has focused on community-centric
events while the work to hold single and/or multiday ticketed music events continued in the background. A
multi-day ticketed event could provide a high Return on Investment (“ROI”) during softer lodging times and
provide a strong retail weekend for restaurants and other retail establishments early in the summer and late
fall.
To that end, Staff has been in conversations with Diane Moudy, owner/founder of Resort Entertainment
regarding two 3-day music festivals previously held in Vail. Additionally, Staff has been working on multiple
financial modeling scenarios and believe the opportunity exists to breakeven.
Diane will be presenting both festivals to the CASE Committee at the October 16, 2025, meeting.
Also, this report provides an update on (1) CASE division 2026 Department Goals and (2) 2026 proposed
Budget Revenues.
CURRENT / PLANNING ACTIVITY:
1. BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL PROPOSAL - This multi-day festival environment features a Friday
evening musical performance at the Avon Pavilion, all day Saturday and Sunday performances,
multiple stages on Town owned property, evening performances at multiple bars and restaurants,
focused on top tier bluegrass musicians and local Colorado-based talent opening sets. In addition
to live music, this event includes unique vendors, incentives and promotional opportunities
including swag, tickets, and lodging.
Attendance is projected at 4,000 to 6,000 per day with “early-bird pricing” at $65 for a 3-day ticket
for a designated amount of time and/or tickets sold, followed by $95 for a 3-day ticket. Currently,
single day tickets are not priced out / offered, however, this could change if the producer
determines they are needed. The Town would provide cash funding and in-kind services and aim
to break even through the $3 per day / per ticket fee, operating alcohol sales and retaining the
revenue. This is in addition to the anticipated increase in sales, accommodation and short-term
rental taxes generated by the multi-day festival.
Springfree Bluegrass Festival is targeting the second or third weekend in June and Freefall
Bluegrass Festival is targeting the last weekend in September or the second weekend in October
2026. The 2026 List of Event schedules provide insight into (1) Eagle County peer communities
and events in the same time period and (2) regional bluegrass events which may be detractors or
weekends to avoid. Such as the Breckenridge Bluegrass & Beer on the last weekend in
September. The 2026 List of Events by Event and by Location schedules are provided and
attached as ATTACHMENTS A and B.
The producer’s proposal is provided and attached as ATTACHMENT C.
Moreover, the Freefall Bluegrass Festival, held on October 11-13, 2024, and the Springfree
Bluegrass Festival, held on May 23-25, 2025, in Vail, Recap Decks are provided as
ATTACHMENTS D and E
970-748-4065 ddempsey@avon.org
2. CASE DIVISION GOALS: The 2026 Department Goals have been presented to Council and while
not formally adopted yet, I have provided a brief update since our last meeting.
a. Bronze Research: Research bronze casting artists and solicit general cost estimates for
commissioning additional wildlife bronzes for round-abouts (Avon Road – Round-About 1
and Post Blvd Round-Abouts) and other locations (e.g., Pedestrian Mall gateway into
Harry A. Nottingham Park). Research into whether Mother’s Pride is the right scale for
Round-About 1 and look into the possible sale of Avon’s town-owned Sidewalk Society
Bronze collection by Glenna Goodacre. Glenna Goodacre’s Sidewalk Society Collection
which was purchased in 1992 and 1993 consisting of five pieces (1) CEO (2) Family (3)
Ollie (4) Architect and Contractor and (5) Dance Day. The collection formerly on Avon
Road, has been on display on the Main Street Mall since 2014.
b. Activating Lot B Commercial Space: Conduct inclusive community engagement process
to develop programming and activation of potential ground level commercial space
adjacent to Pedestrian Mall in the proposed Lot B apartment project. This will initially be
referred to the Avon DDA and CASE Committee. [NOTE: Complete development
application is pending and is estimated to be submitted in Q4 of 2025]. The Town
Manager may provide additional information during the October 16th CASE Committee
meeting.
c. Avon Library Expansion: Collaborate with Eagle Valley Library District to determine
potential expansion and community uses of the Avon Library Branch. This goal would be
to determine opportunities, demand, and interest of Avon Library Branch in expanding their
building, potentially onto the 351 Benchmark Site. [NOTE: Potential Avon Library
Expansion will be discussed at the Council meeting on September 23, 2025]. The
Town Manager may provide additional information during the October 16th CASE
Committee meeting.
d. Historical Ranching & Railroad Collection [Carryover from 2025]: Collaborate with
Community Development Department to determine an appropriate location for placement
of historical farm and ranching and railroad equipment and structures in a public park or
plaza and develop content for interpretive and education information.
3. 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET REVENUE – The Town Manager has approved a slight increase to
the CASE divisions current fee structure which do not significantly increase revenues and
therefore, are not reflected in the 2026 Proposed Budget.
a. Non-Funded Special Event Application Fee: Increase $50, from $300 to $350.
b. Field Rental Fee: Increase $5, from $20 to $25 with a 2-hour minimum, $25 for each
additional hour.
c. Concessions: Increase $1 for beer and $2 for wine, seltzer, and cocktails. No increase in
canned water.
d. Sound Permits ($25) and Pavilion Rental fees, which vary based on time of year and
space needs, will remain flat.
970-748-4065 ddempsey@avon.org
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:
1. 2025 Full Event Recap
2. Post-Event Debriefs
3. 2026 CASE Committee Member Terms
4. 2026 CASE Committee Meeting Dates
Thank you, Danita.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – 2026 List of Event by Location
Attachment B – 2026 List of Events by Month
Attachment C – Avon Springfree & Freefall Bluegrass Festivals Proposal 2026
Attachment D – Freefall 2024 Recap Deck
Attachment E – Springfree 2025 Recap Deck
Name Date Location Website
Meadowgrass Friday, May 22 - Sunday, May 24 CO Springs Rocky Mountain Highway
GoldenGrass Music Festival Thursday, May 28 - Sunday, May 31 Golden
Goldengrass Bluegrass Festival — New Terrain Brewing
Company in Golden, CO
Palisade Bluegrass & Roots Friday, June 5 - Sunday, June 7 Palisade
Palisade Bluegrass & Roots Festival - Colorado Music
Festival
Telluride Bluegrass Festival Thursday, June 18 - Sunday, June 21 Telluride https://bluegrass.com/telluride
Rail on the River Thursday, June 25 - Sunday, June 28 Berthoud Rail on the River Music Festival 2025
Pickin' in the Rockes Sunday, September 13, 2026 Loma Pickin In The Rockies - Pickin' In The Rockies
Breckenridge Bluegrass & Beer Friday, Sept. 25 - Sunday, Sept. 27 Breckenridge Breckenridge Bluegrass & Beer
Buffalo Grass Festival Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4 CO Springs BuffaloGrass
Name Date Location Website
GoPro Mountain Games Thursday, June 4 - Sunday, June 7 GoPro Mountain Games
Vail Craft Beer Classic Friday, June 12 - Saturday, June 13 Vail Craft Beer Classic
Lionshead Oktoberfest Friday, Sept. 11 - Sunday, Sept. 13 Oktoberfest Vail
Vail Oktoberfest Friday, Sept. 18 - Sunday, Sept. 20 Oktoberfest Vail
Vail Concours TBD The Vail Concours - Home
Artisan Rhapsody TBD Artisan Rhapsody
Good Music for a Good Mynd TBD ABOUT
Eagle Flight Days Friday, June 26 - Saturday, June 27 Eagle Eagle Flight Days
Blues, Brews, and BBQ Friday, May 22 - Sunday, May 24 Blues Brews & BBQ
Oktoberfest Friday, Sept. 4 - Sunday, Sept. 6 Oktoberfest
N/A
SunsetLIVE!Sundays, May 24-September 6 SunsetLIVE!
AvonLIVE! Wednesdays, June 10 - August 19 AvonLIVE!
Pride in the Park/Fiesta Pride Friday, June 12 - Saturday, June 13 Pride in the Park
Lacrosse Tuesday, June 23 - Thursday, June 25
Community Picnic Thursday, September 17
VVSC Tournament Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4
CO Bluegrass Events
Beaver Creek
Gypsum
Eagle
Vail
Avon
Vail
Beaver Creek
Avon
Eagle County Events
ATTACHMENT A
Event Date Location Website
Town Clean Up & Sustainability
Fair Wednesday, May 20 Town Clean Up & Sustainability Fair in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
SunsetLIVE!Sundays - May 24 & 31 SunsetLIVE! in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
Blues, Brews, & BBQ Friday, May 22 - Sunday, May 24 Beaver Creek Blues Brews & BBQ
Meadowgrass Friday, May 22 - Sunday, May 24 Colorado Springs Rocky Mountain Highway
GoldenGrass Music Festival Thursday, May 28 - Sunday, May 31 Golden https://newterrainbrewing.com/golden-grass
Event Date Location Website
SunsetLIVE!Sundays - June 7, 14, 21, 28 SunsetLIVE! in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
AvonLIVE!Wednesdays - June 10, 17, 24 AvonLIVE! in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
Fiesta Pride (TBD)Friday, June 12
Pride in the Park Saturday, June 13 Pride in the Park in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
Vail Lacrosse Tournament Tuesday, June 23 - Thursday, June 25 Vail Lacrosse Tournament in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
GoPro Mountain Games Thursday, June 4 - Sunday, June 7 Vail GoPro Mountain Games | Vail Valley Foundation
Vail Craft Beer Classic Friday, June 12 - Saturday, June 13 Vail Home - Vail Craft Beer Classic
Eagle Flight Days Friday, June 26 - Saturday, June 27 Eagle Eagle Flight Days - EagleOutside
Palisade Bluegrass Festival Friday, June 5 - Sunday, June 7 Colorado Springs Palisade Bluegrass & Roots Festival - Colorado Music Festival
Telluride Bluegrass Festival Thursday, June 18 - Sunday, June 21 Telluride
Telluride Bluegrass Festival — Planet Bluegrass • Colorado Music Festivals & Concerts
• Lyons, CO
Rail on the River Thursday, June 25 - Sunday, June 28 Berthoud Rail on the River Music Festival 2025: Tickets
Event Date Location Website
SunsetLIVE!Sunday - September 6 SunsetLIVE! in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
Community Picnic Thursday, September 17 Community Picnic in the Heart of the Valley | Avon, CO
Beaver Creek Oktoberfest Friday, September 4 - Sunday, September 6 Beaver Creek Oktoberfest Fy25
Vail Oktoberfest - Lionshead Friday, September 11 - Sunday, September 13 Vail Home | Oktoberfest Vail
Vail Oktoberfest - Vail Village Friday, September 18 - Sunday, September 20 Vail Home | Oktoberfest Vail
Pickin' In the Rockies Sunday, September 13 Loma Pickin In The Rockies - Pickin' In The Rockies
Breckenridge Bluegrass & Beer Friday, September 25 - Sunday, September 27 Breckenridge Breckenridge Bluegrass & Beer
Event Date Location Website
Vail Valley Soccer Tournament Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4 Avon Vail Valley Soccer Tournament | Avon, CO - Official Website
Buffalo Grass Festival Friday, September 4 - Sunday, September 6 Colorado Springs BUFFALOGRASS | Bicycle Resort
Eagle County Events
May-26
Avon
Colorado Bluegrass Events
Eagle County Events
Avon
Eagle County Events
Colorado Bluegrass Events
Avon
Avon
Avon
Oct-26
Avon
Eagle County Events
Colorado Bluegrass Events
Colorado Bluegrass Events
Sep-26
Jun-26
Avon
ATTACHMENT B
Springfree & Freefall Bluegrass
Festivals
Produced by Resort Entertainment Group
Concept Proposal for Town of Avon
ATTACHMENT C
Festival Background
• Entering Year 3 in 2026
• Heavily branded, recognized, and attended
• Designed to boost tourism in soft travel seasons
Past Performaners
The Infamous Stringdusters
The Bluegrass Generals
Sam Bush band
Armchair Boogie
Jon Stickley Band
Alison Brown Band
Rapidgrass
Paul Hoffman of Greensky
Bluegrass and Friends
Nicki Bluhm Band
High Country Hustle
Terrapin Family Band
Bill Nershi and friends of String
Cheese Incident
Purpose & Impact
•Provide top Bluegrass entertainment at low
attendee cost
• Encourage spending on lodging, dining, and
local retail
• Stimulate tourism during late spring & early fall
Timing & Seasonality
• Late spring: warm, dry, lower visitor activity
• Early fall (Sept–Oct): post-peak season, limited
events
• Festivals fill gaps in tourism calendar
The Bluegrass Audience
• Progressive listeners, urban and willing to travel
• Strong culture of loyalty & fandom
• Side projects and collaborations create new
excitement
Fan Passion
• Fans treat history & development with intensity
• Knowledge comparable to “obsessive baseball
fans”
• Deep engagement makes them high-value
cultural tourists
Bluegrass Demographics
• 18.7M U.S. consumers
• 51% male / 49% female
• 56% are 25–54 years old
• 30% hold college degrees
• 61% married, 87% registered voters
Lifestyle & Values
• 67%: “Happy with my life as it is”
• 68%: “Time > Money”
• 67%: Pay more for quality
• 77%: Will volunteer for causes
• 71%: Music central to life
Market Insights
• 75% list music as #1 leisure activity
• 65% recently attended or likely to attend live shows
• Active, quality-conscious, socially engaged consumers
Track Record of Success
•Festivals proven successful in Vail (2023–2025)
• Growing audience demand
• Opportunity to scale up
Reasons for Relocation
Freefall will not take place in the Town of Vail due
to several operational factors. Ongoing construction in
Vail Village and along the Gore Creek Promenade—an
essential part of the planned festival footprint—
combined with national sponsorship cutbacks, budget
freezes, and the need for a larger venue to
accommodate anticipated growth, led REG to relocate
the event to a new location better suited for its
continued expansion and success.
Why Avon is Ideal
• Larger event footprint
• Upcoming park improvements
• Fenced ticketing capability
• Affordable lodging & diverse dining options
• Strong infrastructure for long-term hosting
Closing & Call to Action
• Festivals are ready for the next chapter
• Partnership with Town of Avon ensures growth &
longevity
• “We’d be honored to call Avon home.”
2024
EVENT RECAP
ATTACHMENT D
ROCK & ROLL PLAYHOUSE LOCAL ARTISAN VENDORS THREE DAY EVENT
Founded in 2014 by independent
concert promoter Peter Shapiro and
educator Amy Striem, The Rock and
Roll Playhouse is the largest national
kid-friendly live concert series.
FreeFall hosted 10 local artisan
vendors that highlighted mountain
lifestyle through fashion, jewelry, and
outdoor activities.
Kick things off on Friday at 4:30pm
and stay the whole weekend with
music going from 11:00am to
7:30pm plus and All Day Kids Zone
on Saturday and Sunday and After
Parties at Cucina at The Lodge at
Vail.
2024 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
15,000
Estimated Attendance
14
Bands on Multiple Stages
October 11-13
Festival Dates
Vail, Colorado
High Tourist Location
2024 EVENT AT A GLANCE
$885,000
Estimated Town Revenue
LOCATION:
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas,
Utah, Wyoming
AGE RANGE:
55-69
INCOME:
$100,000-$199,999
GENDER:
45% Male
55% Female
EDUCATION:
Bachelor’s Degree or higher
2024 ATTENDEE STATS
AVERAGE NIGHT STAY:
3
ATTENDEES CAME FOR FESTIVAL:
81%
ATTENDED WITH CHILDREN:
53%
LIKELY TO RETURN:
94%
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ROOMS BOOKED:
1,151
HOME OWNERSHIP:
83%
2024 ATTENDEE STATS
MEDIAN AGE:
43.7 Male
50.9 Female
INCOME:
$100,000+
HOME OWNERSHIP:
71.8%
GENDER:
53% Male
47% Female
2024 LOCAL DEMOGRAPHICS
INSTAGRAM:
1,060 followers
30.9k reach
DENVER DOWNTOWN BILLBOARD:
6-week with 2.5 million views
GOOGLE ADWORDS:
WILL GET THESE NUMBERS
FACEBOOK:
863 followers
92.8k reach
2024 MARKETING REACH
Sam Bush Band
phoffman (Greensky Bluegrass)
Terrapin Family Band
ft Chris Pandolfi, Nicki Bluhm, & Grahame Lesh
Alison Brown | Nicki Bluhm | Armchair Boogie
Andy Hall, Billy Nershi, & Erik Thorin Trio
Danger Mountain | Hardscrabble
Skin The Rabbit
Jake Wolf’s Always Dead Bluegrass Band
Blue Ox Boys | Nick Steingart Bluegrass Trio
The Rock & Roll Playhouse
2024 LINEUP
“
”
Owner and Event Producer
Diane Moudy
Resort Entertainment Group has
been booking and producing concerts,
festivals, and community events since
1999. Based in the heart of Vail,
Colorado, we hold this vibrant
community close to our hearts.
Bluegrass music, known for its
family-friendly appeal, creates the
perfect opportunity for families to come
together and experience the charm
and beauty of Vail. Our passion is
bringing people together, spreading
joy, and celebrating the incredible Vail
Valley through world-class Bluegrass
performances. We've been putting
smiles on faces and creating
unforgettable memories since 1999!
Formstack Submission For: Discover Vail Event Recap
Submitted at 06/19/25 3:42 PM
Event Name: Springfree Bluegrass festival
Event Producer Name: Diane Moudy
Email: diane@resort-entertainment.com
Event Date: May 23, 2025
If multiple dates that are not
consecutive, please list
here:
Event highlights:
Highlights
Local and national bluegrass artist took the stage in
Vail for FREE
Estimated Revenue for Town of Vail was $776K
Brought tourist to Vail in off-season to kick off
summer
Local restaurants were very busy
After parties at Cucina at the Lodge at Vail
Activated Gore Creek Plaza, International Bridge,
and Vail Village
Sponsors - Discover Vail, Can Do Multiple
Sclerosis, Montucky Coldsnacks, Tin Cup Whiskey,
Stranahan’s Whiskey, The Lodge at Vail, Vail
Comedy Festival, Evergreen Lodge, Avanti Food &
Beverage, Liberty Fly Fishing, Valley Lidz, and Zeal
Optics.
300 estimated rooms booked with an average night
stay of 3
Overall attendee satisfaction of 95%
Humble Brag: Humble Brag
SpringFree Bluegrass Fest brought 8k people to Vail
ATTACHMENT E
and increased lodging numbers during a typically
slow time in the Valley. Retailers and restaurants
saw an uptick in business and brought tourists to
their doors who are outdoor enthusiasts and music
lovers. The general vibe was tons of smiling faces
and a large family presence and another huge
success with our Kids Zone. 82% of attendees said
they were highly likely to return for the festival in
the fall and next year.
Event challenges: Weather is always a challenge at this time of year.
Net Promoter Score: 75
Prior Year Net Promoter
Score: 69
Upload final budget actuals
as per the funding
agreement.:
View File
Upload Supplemental
Presentation:
Was there an "Opt In" option
for your attendees to sign up
for Discover Vail emails?:
Yes
Provide an explanation as to
why this was not an option.:
Total number of email sends
with Discover Vail inclusion: 5
Total number of emails with
DEDICATED Discover Vail
content:
1, delayed on getting content from Vail
Upload Screenshot:
Upload Screenshot:
Email list size: 2228
Email open rate: 46.3%
What links
to DiscoverVail.comwere on
your event website?:
Things to Do
Lodging link
Lodging widget or hosted page
Explore Vail
Transportation
Logo to main landing page
Other: Links on Website - All these Things to Do
Lodging link Lodging widget or hosted page Explore
Vail Transportation Logo to main landing page
Total number of dedicated
Discover Vail social posts: 6, delayed on getting content from Vail
Screenshot: View File
Dedicated Social post
impressions Total: 81360
Screenshot: View File
Total number
of DiscoverVail.combanners
placed on site. :
0 we never received from TOV. TOV was on thee
stage banners
File:
Exhibit Space Offered : yes
Any Additional Fulfillment: : never received the tent from TOV
File :
Actual Event Attendance: 14500
Prior Year Actual Event
Attendance: 13260
How was attendance
measured?: survey
Visitor Profile - local % of
attendees : 50
Visitor Profile - front range
visitor % of attendees: 50
Visitor Profile - destination
visitor % of attendees:
How did you determine
attendee origin?: survey
Actual room nights booked
that can be attributed
directly to the event :
1500
Estimated total room night
generation: 568500
How did you determine
room night generation?: average room costs
Estimated visitor spend?: 800000
How did you determine
visitor spend?: survey
Direct economic impact to
TOV per attendee day?: $$500 per day per person
Actual Marketing Spend -
Print: $3500
Actual # of impressions
from print: 11400
Actual Marketing Spend -
Digital: 4000
Actual # of impressions
from digital: 471380
Actual Marketing Spend -
Social: 4000
Actual # of impressions
from paid social: 235690
Actual # of impressions
from organic social : 229690
Actual Marketing Spend:
TV/Radio/OOH: 0
Actual # of impressions
from tv/radio/OOH:
Total website visits and
unique visitors: 69762
Actual number of Emails
Sent: 6
Average email open rate: 46%
Number of email recipients
(Total number in your
database) :
2238
Link to shared files:
Additional File:
:
Link to shared photo files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AM6I1hIQ-
GVReRVNQ9RWgYDZZoHeZkLZ
Event Photos:
Event Photos:
Event Photos:
What was your waste
diversion rate?: 81.3%
Please list successes and
challenges with Zero Waste
Program:
Why do events have to compost when restaurants
do not
Did your event institute any
Shift Bike (e-bike share
program) efforts? :
No
Please describe these
efforts and any feedback. :
Please list any alternate
transportation efforts
and/or communication your
event instituted.:
website, shared on social media
Please list any other
sustainability efforts your
event instituted. :
promoted to bring reusable water bottle.
Optional: Link to shared
files:
Do you have your 2026
dates?: No
2026 Event Dates:
Photo for 2026 Listing -
PLEASE NO IMAGES WITH
TEXT:
Additional Photo Upload:
Final 2025 Invoice: