Overview:
The 10th annual Big Bang Concert at the Estes Park Events Complex will feature Blessing Chimanga and the Face Vocal Band.
The Big Bang Concert began with a simple observation: Every Fourth of July, people crowded roadsides, parking lots, and other makeshift viewing spots around Estes Park, looking for a place to watch the fireworks over Lake Estes.
Joshua Collins thought the town could do better.
“I see all these people pulled over on the side of the road and waiting for fireworks,” Collins said. “I came up with the idea to provide a place for people of all ages and capacities to enjoy the fireworks. I rented the fairground and built the concert from the ground up.”
Ten years later, the event he started will return to the Estes Park Events Complex on July 4, though without the fireworks finale that has traditionally capped the evening.
As previously reported by the Estes Valley Voice, the Town of Estes Park announced Monday that it had postponed its annual Fourth of July fireworks display over Lake Estes because of increasing wildfire danger, an unfavorable weather forecast, and the demand for firefighting resources as crews respond to active wildfires in Colorado and neighboring states.
The Big Bang Concert, a separate ticketed event presented by Grandstands Events Company, will still take place from 5 to 10 p.m. July 4 at the Estes Park Events Complex, 1125 Rooftop Way. Gates open at 5 p.m., music begins at 6 p.m., and the lineup features Zimbabwean musician Blessing Chimanga as the opener and Boulder’s Face Vocal Band as the headliner.
Tickets are $21 for adults and $12 for children 6 and younger. Free parking, covered grandstand seating, concessions, food trucks, and drinks will be available. Though this year’s event will be different without the fireworks, Collins says the venue will still provide what drew him to the fairgrounds in the first place: parking, bathrooms, covered seating, food, and space for families to gather on one of Estes Park’s busiest nights.
“I found a lot of the time there are families that have different levels of needs,” Collins said. “It’s hard to find parking or a bathroom or nice covered seating in case a storm comes through. It’s kind of the perfect venue for a Fourth of July celebration.”
The concert began around 2016, Collins said, though he acknowledged the date is “a little foggy.” The event was paused for one year, then returned during the pandemic era, when Collins said people were eager for a reason to gather again.
“It’s been well received by locals and tourists both,” Collins said. “It’s always been a success, so we are thankful for that.”
The format has remained mostly the same over the years: a few hours of live music timed around the town’s fireworks display. Collins said attendance usually lands between 850 and 900 people, with the event capped at 1,000. Last year’s concert came close to that limit.
“I hope to be at that 1,000 mark again,” Collins said. “We still have a long way to go. There is a trend in the industry of people buying tickets closer to game time. We usually have a strong finish. It’s been consistent over the years.”
This year’s opener, Blessing “Bled” Chimanga, is an internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for marimba, drums, and vocals. His music blends Afro-jazz, traditional Zimbabwean sounds, and contemporary rhythms. Chimanga has performed at festivals across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the United States and has recently appeared at eTown, Chautauqua Community House, Roots Music Project, and TEDx.
Face Vocal Band, the headliner, is an all-vocal rock band from Boulder that has performed more than 1,500 shows in Colorado and around the world. The group was named “Quintet of the Year” at the 2019 A Cappella Music Awards, competed on NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” appeared at Carnegie Hall’s TotalVocal Festival, and has performed at venues including Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Paramount Theatre, Boulder Theater, and Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.
Collins said booking the concert is a year-round process of watching acts that come through Estes Park, talking with concert organizers on the Front Range, and balancing returning favorites with new performers.
“It’s a combo of bringing people back, like the Face Vocal Band, who have been a hit,” Collins said. “Then when we find someone who fits the demos of Estes Park, I put them in there. I just plan it as the year goes.”
The event is also a family operation. Collins said his wife runs ticketing, his children help with concessions, and his regular staff works the event through BBC Concessions, the business he operates out of the Events Complex.
“We are family-run,” Collins said. “We are based out of the Estes Park Event Center, so it’s our normal home, and I use my regular team of workers.”
Seating is mostly first come, first served. Collins said people who want preferred seats often arrive early, settle in, and get something to eat before the opener begins around 6 p.m. The headliner is scheduled to begin around 7:30 p.m.
The event is rain or shine. No refunds will be offered within 21 days of the event, and dogs are not allowed. Organizers recommend that people sitting in the bleachers bring a seat pad. For GPS directions, organizers recommend using 1209 Manford Ave.
Collins said the concert usually draws a mix of visitors and residents, about 75 percent tourists and 25 percent locals. His favorite part comes at the end of the evening, when people leave the arena after spending the holiday together.
“My wife and I stand at the exit, and there are a lot of happy people at the end,” Collins said. “I like that feeling at the end when we have a lot of happy people. I’m not surprised, but I am glad to see it’s been so well received. It has been well supported and popular in town since the beginning, so I intend to continue doing it for as long as possible.”