‘Dear Summer Fest’ in Manitou Springs brings local artists together in the community

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The second annual 'Dear Summer Fest' is being held at Soda Springs Park in Manitou Springs Saturday and Sunday.

The 70's themed festival highlights local businesses, vendors, musicians, comedians and artists. All complimented with local live music.

"Vendors want to be here because it's the community here that's so tight knit and real," event founder Jevaughn Williams said. "It's the pure energy of the people coming in. It felt like a dream. Me putting on this festival and having all these people here with such good energy and such good humanity. Just walking around and being friends with each other, creating a community within the community."

In addition, the event has games, food trucks and raffles. One new thing this year is live comedy.

"The 70s theme , everybody loves to come out and dress up," event coordinator Chelsea Drew said. "It gives them a reason to do their thing and be able to express themselves as they see fit. The music acts are getting better every year. So everybody that's a local artist comes out."

All the event coordinators and vendors are local artists and creatives themselves.

"We're all leaders in the community," Drew said. "So it's for the community by the community. It's led for us by us. So we're an ensemble of local creatives and we get together to do this every year."

It is also a place to network and meet like-minded individuals.

"People make new friends here, new connections, getting your name out there," Motivated Streetwear CEO Cameron Tolman said. "Businesses even start out here. People get new ideas. I've even heard people talking about opening other stores in Pueblo and the Springs."

Event coordinators say events like this are important to establish artistic communities for youth to find other creatives.

"It gives people more a reason to pursue their art form in any form that it is," Williams said. "I feel like a lot of kids in high school, me myself was one of them, wanted to pursue art but didn't know how to, and if there's a successful community of artists actively pursuing their art and it can be shown, that gives kids more reason to actually pursue the art form."

Event organizers say what sets this event apart is its diversity in bringing people together.

"In my opinion Colorado Springs is a seamlessly diverse place," Drew said. "So you don't see the seams of diversity. You don't see where just one type of person is on either end. This is a multi-faceted event where we were able to bring everybody out from the community. I just enjoy the most, seeing people in rooms that normally wouldn't be together. I think that's what sets it apart in terms of diversity and bringing people out together."

For more information, visit the event website.