Community Minded Music Series brings music and a clothing swap to Estes

When Alex Wieser started hosting clothing swaps in her home in 2022, the gatherings had a simple rhythm: friends brought clothes, left with new finds, listened to music, and caught up with people from around town.

“It gave people an excuse to get together to see each other before and after the busy season,” Wieser said. “I wanted to expand the event and let the whole community in on this. I wanted to be able to invite the town instead of 50-80 close friends.”

That homegrown gathering is now moving into the backyard of Estes Park Mountain Shop as the Community Minded Music Series, a free summer event pairing live local music, youth performers, a clothing swap, and donations for the Education Foundation.

The events are scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. June 29, Aug. 3, and Sept. 7 at the Mountain Shop, 2050 Big Thompson Ave. Attendees are encouraged to bring clothes they are ready to pass along, take home new finds, and stay for the music. Any clothing left at the end of the event will be donated to the new thrift store at Crossroads Ministries.

For Wieser, the clothing swap format has always been part of the appeal. It gives people a reason to gather, but it also lets useful things keep moving through the community.

“It’s also cool to see your friends wear your shirt,” Wieser said. “They are using something you are done with.”

Wieser has lived in Estes Park for 17 years, arriving in 2009 after realizing Denver was not the right fit. A job and a place to live came together at the same time, and Estes Park became home.

“I just kind of never left,” Wieser said. “It worked out that I found a community. Then I found out about trail running and hiking and now I don’t ever want to move.”

Music has been a steady part of that community. Wieser bartended at the Stanley Hotel after moving to town, later worked at Ed’s Cantina, and now bartends at the Rock Inn, where live music is part of the culture. Wieser has also volunteered with the Friends of Folk Festival for five or six years and helped in artist areas at SnowyGrass and other festivals.

“I’ve bartended for the last 15 years in places with live music,” Wieser said. “One of the things that inspires me is live music. I love what it does to people. It brings them together.”

The series also connects to a larger dream: an all-ages community music space in Estes Park. Wieser said the timeline for a brick-and-mortar venue is still unknown, especially in a town where available space can be limited, but the idea continues to shape the event.

“Eventually, I’d love to create a community space that is a brick-and-mortar space that would be an all-age venue,” Wieser said. “This series is an experiment for me to see interest in the community.”

That experiment started taking shape last fall, when Wieser began talking with local venues about hosting the event. By December or January, the idea became a real plan through conversations with Zack Zehr, owner of the Mountain Shop.

“He was all in, so that’s kind of when the real planning started, once I had a place to do the event,” Wieser said.

The original plan was to hold the series on the first Monday of every month from June through September. As planning moved forward, Wieser combined June and July into one event on June 29, then scheduled the next two events for the first Mondays of August and September.

“It worked out well to do it at the end of June because people are back from winter vacation, but it’s before the big onslaught of July and August,” Wieser said.

The first event will feature DJ Moon Rock C, Snow Belt, the Jingle Janle Jabronics, and Pizzly Bear, a high school band made up of Estes Park High School students.

“They are not affiliated with the high school, but they all go to Estes Park High School,” Wieser said. “They work in town, and so I thought that was a really cool way to start out the music series.”

Wieser began reaching out to high school band and choir teachers in January and hopes to include more youth musicians in the August and September events. The full lineups for those dates are expected to be announced closer to each event on social media.

“I’m involved in the live music scene a lot here, so I reached out to local musicians who I knew would be excited to do a community event,” Wieser said. “Another thought was to get a variety of music. I wanted to get bands who are new.”

The event is free, but a suggested $10 donation will benefit the Education Foundation. Wieser hopes the money can support music opportunities for local students, including access to instruments and creative programs.

The format may shift as the series develops. Wieser said part of the reason the August and September lineups have not been finalized is to see how the first event works, including how much time should be set aside for youth musicians, local bands, and the clothing swap.

“I’m the only one doing it,” Wieser said. “I want to see how much time needs to be dedicated to music in the four hours. I have an idea of who will play in August, but I want to do this first event, see how it goes, and then be able to adjust things based on how things go.”

There is no ticket count or RSVP list for the June 29 event. Wieser said friends suggested creating one, but the grassroots nature of the series made a more casual approach feel right for now.

“I wanted to promote it as a show up if you can and when you can style of event,” Wieser said. “There’s no pressure to be there or arrive at a certain time.”

Parking at the Mountain Shop is limited, and organizers recommend carpooling or using the Lake Estes bike path when possible. Attendees are encouraged to bring clothing to donate, take home clothing from the swap, and come ready to listen, dance, or simply spend a summer evening with neighbors.

Wieser does not know how many people will come to the first event. That uncertainty is part of the point. The series is meant to feel flexible, local, and easy to enter: a backyard gathering with music, young performers onstage, familiar faces in the crowd, and clothing moving from one neighbor to another.

“I’m excited to see the turnout and the people and their excitement of having this community event,” Wieser said. “I’m excited to see people walking away with clothing that is their friends. I’m excited to see people dancing and enjoying the band.”