Longmont's biggest music festival is almost here!

Front Row LoCo
May 28
4 min read

From June 15th through June 21st, Grossen Bart Brewery will be transformed into LunaFest '26, a celebration of "diversity, acceptance, and the transformative power of art." If those words don't convey how huge this event is, check out these facts:

9 days (including pre- and after-parties) of music, art, and local vendors
Over 100 bands
80% Colorado artists, the remainder from 7 other states
100% of profits split evenly among the bands
Tickets are just $20 per day, or $50 for a festival wristband if you buy by June 1st (also includes access to the after-party)
FREE pre-party on Sunday, June 14th, at Grossen Bart Brewery

Even though LunaFest is by far the largest and most-diverse music festival in Longmont, many Longmontonians (yeah, we're making up words here in the front row) still don't know about it.

And that's because LunaFest is almost entirely a DIY affair. It's the product of one woman's persistence, productivity, and passion for Longmont's growing music scene.

Luna Wolf put on her first music festival in Florida in 2023. It began as a single show with a bill of 3-5 bands, but as bands kept asking to play, it expanded to a 56-band lineup. In 2024, Wolf sold her house and moved to Colorado to escape Florida's endemic transphobia. She was living in her truck when one of the bands that played the 2023 festival called and asked her if there'd be a LunaFest '24. The seeds of Colorado's first LunaFest were planted, and the event would grow to include more than 70 bands playing over 7 days in April 2024 at DV8 Distillery in Boulder.

Since that first festival, Wolf has been one of the key figures nurturing a diverse music scene in Longmont, along with folks like Moshmont Mafia, Outlaw Production Collective, and Longmont Punk. Through her company, Lunar Lux Music & Arts Festival, she has organized hardcore, punk, and metal shows, as well as EDM and dubstep nights, most occurring within the retail storefront for Bizarre Electronics Repair in central Longmont, where Wolf works as a manager. Pavel Ivanov, who opened Bizarre Electronics in early 2024, is enthusiastic about all the shows that Wolf puts on in the store. "We have nine more events planned between now and the end of the year, and we might start doing two a month," says Ivanov. "We're doing too many music events for me to consider this just a repair shop," he laughs.

Wolf was sitting at the bar in Grossen Bart when she heard that DV8 Distillery, home of her first Colorado LunaFest, had closed its tasting room. She immediately turned to Taylor Wise, Grossen Bart's owner, and asked him if he wanted to host the next incarnation of the festival. With that, a new Longmont music festival was born. The goal of LunaFest '26, according to Wolf, is to promote art of all kinds by underrepresented artists, including women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ artists.

"Luna's events bring in a different crowd than the typical craft-beer folks," Wise says. "It's super fun working with Luna, and the shows have always been good."

When asked about the risks of turning his business over to a music and arts festival for seven days, Wise isn't concerned. "You might lose some of your regulars for that week, but with the way Luna does her shows [referring to the "NOTAFLOF" policy that enables folks who can't afford to pay the opportunity to enjoy the event], it brings in some people who otherwise wouldn't come in. And since this event is outside, it's not going to be a big impact on the taproom."

The festival's website highlights values of "transparency, integrity, diversified talent, inclusion and protection of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color, and refusal to use a pay-to-play model." The event clearly seeks to respect the dignity of both artists and ticket buyers.

Wolf's ties to live music began with photography. She's been shooting live music events for many years. In fact, the LunaFest moniker was thrust upon her when she was photographing a show in Florida. Because it was on Wolf's birthday, the venue decided to name the event in her honor. "I love capturing moments in a way that isn't seen by most people," Wolf says of her first love.

In addition to producing and photographic live music events, Wolf also arranges the backline, designs the flyers, mixes sound, and runs the lights for most of her events. And though she has no formal training, she's had an affinity for technology and been a bit of an autodidact and polymath since she was very young.

"My grandmother gave me a broken VCR to play with when I was four," she recounts with a grin. "I gave it back to her in working condition." Later, Wolf hacked into her school's computer system to change her grade. When a law enforcement agency tracked her down, it wasn't to arrest her — but to hire her. Alas, she wasn't yet old enough to have a job.

Wolf hopes that events like LunaFest '26 are a catalyst for further growth in Longmont's burgeoning music community. "I want to spotlight underrepresented artists, and to have people who attend walk away with a new favorite artist or a new favorite genre of music they always thought they didn't like." As the website says: "We may not have 110 names you'll recognize, but we do have several dozen you will soon."

In just a few short years, Luna Wolf has become a veteran music promoter and an integral thread in Longmont's musical fabric. She even had her first sold-out show in March, an anniversary party for Bizarre Electronics that featured bands and other artists. And she's excited to be part of a vibrant music community here in Longmont.

"I feel really positive about all the people doing music events in Longmont," the 35-year-old Wolf told us. "We all help each other. It's a community."

When asked what advice she has for other Longmontians (yep!) who want to produce shows, Wolf gives a sly smile and a simple three-word answer: "Don't do it." After letting the joke land, she gets serious: "I guess I'd say: put the bands first."

We couldn't agree more.