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Glenwood Springs’ 125th Strawberry Days to bring music to the mountains

Performers from around Colorado line up to play at summer festival

A Band Called Alexis closes out Friday night's live music lineup at the 125th Strawberry Days Festival.
A Band Called Alexis
Live music line-up: Friday
  • 4:30 p.m., Cody Jeffryes
  • 6 p.m., The Queen Bees
  • 8 p.m., A Band Called Alexis
Saturday
  • Noon, Skinny Eggs Benny
  • 1:30 p.m., Wild Flight
  • 3 p.m., THUNK
  • 5 p.m., Martini Shot
  • 7:30 p.m., MarchFourth
Sunday
  • 11 a.m., Rodrigo
  • 12:30 p.m., Silent Chihuahua
  • 2 p.m., Rodney Rice

These boots were made for stompin’ along to the beat of live music, and this weekend, that’s just what they’ll do. 

Glenwood Springs’ 125th annual Strawberry Days is scheduled to host 11 live performances at Two Rivers Park, starting Friday evening and running through Sunday afternoon, said Tara Harman, Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Foundation’s director of operations and special events. 

“The majority of our bands are local — we really love to have as much community presence as possible,” Harman said. “And we have some from around the region. It’s always nice to bring those folks from other parts of Colorado.” 



Following a pandemic-related hiatus the past two years, Glenwood Springs’ favorite summer event is back in full swing this year with activities lined up throughout the weekend. Live music is slated to serenade attendees as they eat free strawberries and ice cream, peruse the arts and crafts fair or dabble in the numerous activities presented by Family Fest. 

“We’re kicking off our music Friday with Cody Jeffryes, a true local — born and raised in the valley,” Harman said. “We’ll keep the party going Saturday with MarchFourth. They bring a larger than life presence to the main stage. 



“And on Sunday morning, we’re rounding off the weekend with Rodrigo, a valley musician with a large repertoire to offer attendees.”

With many musicians unable to perform live in the past couple of years, Harman said the chamber was overwhelmed by the number of musicians looking to perform during the festival. 

“This year it was a lot easier to put together than we anticipated,” she said. “We had so many options that our music committee had its hands full selecting who would play.”  

According to Jeff Rice, frontman for Skinny Eggs Benny, the live music scene throughout the Roaring Fork Valley has experienced a huge resurgence in recent months. 

“I think people have been so pent up for so long that there’s just this massive demand for live music and festivals right now,” Rice explained. “It really began to pick up last fall, and I’ve been booked solid since the first of the year.” 

Focusing on a mix of rock ‘n’ roll, from classic to indie, Rice formed Skinny Eggs Benny about six months ago with lead guitarist Phil Williams and bassist Eric Kincaid. While the trio has played together for less than a year, Rice said each musician brings about 30 years of experience to the stage. 

“I play three to four nights a week, between my four bands,” Rice said. “Phil is in four bands, and Eric is in at least two bands if not more.” 

Opening the Saturday performance schedule at noon, Skinny Eggs Benny describes themselves as “blessed by the Groove Gods and influenced by the myriad sounds of Southern California and the soul rock of the California Bay Area.”

The name Skinny Eggs Benny was likely Kincaid’s concoction, but Rice said he couldn’t remember exactly who pitched it.

“We wanted the name to be Skinny Jenny, but there’s another band out there with that name,” Rice recalled. “Then someone said, ‘What about Skinny Eggs Benny?’ And it has a nice ring to it, so it stuck.” 

Compiling a compelling performance schedule for the main stage was a key component to reviving the festival, Harman said. With everything in motion, she thanked the numerous people involved in planning and facilitating the 125th Strawberry Days.

“We’ve certainly missed organizing Strawberry Days, and I think the community has missed the festival as well,” Harman said. “It’s exciting to come back and have something to celebrate together. It’s going to be a great year.”


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