Elevation Festival brings top names to Kremmling

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courtesy photo | Jase Robertson, of Duck Dynasty, will be the featured speaker at the Elevation Festival on Friday at 7 p.m. at the West Grand High School.
courtesy photo | Jase Robertson, of Duck Dynasty, will be the featured speaker at the Elevation Festival on Friday at 7 p.m. at the West Grand High School.

by Marissa Lorenz
Kremmling will come alive again this weekend with the return of the Elevation Festival to the Forward Motion/ Veterans Memorial Park at the West Grand High School. The event will be packed with music, food, play, community, and worship, all offered for free to residents and visitors.

“Elevation is returning for its 4th annual music festival!” enthuses Kremmling local Kelsey Hargadine, one of the event organizers. “This event is more than a weekend full of fun and enjoyment–it is a tangible expression of God’s goodness and love for Grand County. Our desire is for everyone young and old in the region to come and experience the beauty of this community and see that hope is on the rise!”

The event was first realized in 2018 when an anonymous donor offered to fund the activities to bring the local faith community together and to offer a fun, faith-filled event for area families.

“The anonymous donor family has roots in west Grand County,” notes another founder/organizer, Carl Wood. “A few years ago, they approached several churches in West Grand, saying that they wanted to do something to help celebrate God’s majesty and everything that we have in west Grand County.

“Basically, they said, if you organize it, we’ll support it.”

Wood goes on to explain that organizers continue to work hard to honor the donors’ request for anonymity as one more way to follow God’s word. “Scripture discusses giving in secret in order that God gets the accolades,” Wood says, referring to Matthew 6:1-4. “The donor family recognizes that God has blessed them greatly, and they just want to share that.”

The event has brought together individuals and local faith communities, including the Parshall Chapel, Granby Assembly Church, The Gathering, Gore Range Baptist Church, the Grand Catholic Churches, and Kremmling Community Church, in partnership with the West Grand School District to help with the festival’s organization and implementation. It has attracted over 1,000 attendees in past years and is set to draw even more with an exciting new program.

This year’s festival welcomes guest speaker Jase Robertson, of Duck Dynasty fame, and presents a full music line-up on Saturday, starting at 3:00 p.m., including performances from the Confluence Music Group, Remezcla, Sean BE, and the Petersens, mostly Denver-area musicians who “play fun, loving music and love God!” according to Kelsey Hargadine.

The Confluence Music Group are from Confluence Ministries, a Front Range nonprofit dedicated to bringing “redemptive change through meaningful connections; uniting diverse people and faith communities for positive impact in West Colfax, the greater Denver area, and our world.” The band offers an “eclectic” variety of genres, including Latin, R&B, funk, hip-hop, and pop sounds.

Remezcla, which means “remix” in Spanish, will really get things swinging with their unique mixture of musicians, cultures, languages, and music. They play pop music with a “Latin remix,” salsa, and cumbia.

Sean BE and his crew will continue the celebration with flips and breakdancing to accompany high-energy Christian pop music. Sean BE just performed at last weekend’s Greeley Stampede and recently found his way to number three on the Christian Radio “Rhythmic”
(hip hop and dance genre) charts with the single, “Here Tonight.”

Sean BE’s website explains that “The message behind the music is this–’we did not come this far just to come this far. There is a plan,
a purpose, and a NEED for your life on earth,’ reminding listeners that God does not waste the lives or even circumstances of those
who put their trust in Him.”

Finally, the Petersens will share their heart-warming American roots and gospel music all the way from Branson, Missouri. A true family band, composed of four siblings, their parents, and a good friend, the Petersens are nationally-recognized and are especially known for introducing the genre of bluegrass to a whole new generation of fans.

Young and old will enjoy the Petersens’ offering of “authentic music, clean comedy and a heartwarming family experience!”

“Having the Petersens come to Kremmling is really special,” observes Wood who has seen the group perform. “They have been
the top-rated performance in Branson for several years, and their participation will really help the Elevation Festival achieve its goal of being a premier family event where you can bring your kids without having to travel, have all the fun you can have, and not have it cost an arm and a leg–that is wonderful.”

Food vendors will be on-site throughout the evening, and attendees will be able to exchange a food ticket that they get upon arrival at the high school for a free meal. Numerous other fun activities are also scheduled to take place during Saturday’s entertainment.

Kelsey’s husband, Thaddeus Hargadine, reports that there will be a few bouncy houses, including a Paw Patrol bouncer, a farm play center, and a 4-in-1 Excalibur bouncy castle. There will be two obstacle courses on-site, a 65-foot “mega” obstacle course and a 62-foot Ninja Warrior obstacle course. The Ninja Warrior course will challenge attendees with step trials, a trapeze swing, cargo net, slackline, and warped wall climb.

The skate park will also be open with volunteers from Sk8 Church in Steamboat Springs giving demonstrations, monitoring, and offering support to users. Other fun will be offered with a slam-dunk inflatable, a bubble machine, volleyball nets, and cornhole games.

The Petersens will return at 10:00 a.m Sunday morning for worship, followed by a sermon by Pastor Robbie James of the Kremmling Community Church and a free BBQ in the park. Everyone is invited to join.

For a complete schedule of events, visit Elevation Festival on Facebook.