Troublesome Festival returns to Grand Lake for third year in a row
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GRAND LAKE, Colo. — Stephanie Conners doesn’t want to dwell on the East Troublesome Fire, which burned 193,812 acres near Grand Lake, Colorado, in 2020, making it Colorado’s second-largest wildfire in recorded history.
Conners and most of her friends lost their homes in the fire. As a bartender in town, she frequently hears patrons grieving the loss of their homes and seeking closure they believe would come with identifying how the fire started, which investigators still do not know.
While she believes grieving is important, Conners decided after the fire in 2020 that she wanted to memorialize the fire with a community celebration and fundraiser for fire mitigation and prevention education.
“We created a really intense commitment and love to each other and got each other through that awful experience,” she said.
Soon after the fire, Conners became the president of Fire on the Mountain, the nonprofit that plans and hosts the Troublesome Festival.
“We advocate for ourselves.”
Since 2021, The Troublesome Festival has brought live bands and food trucks to Grand Lake.
General admission tickets are $50, and the proceeds go to supporting equipment for local fire departments, a scholarship for local high school students participating in first responder training and recovery for local residents impacted by the fire.
What: Troublesome Festival
When: Sept. 7, 2024
Where: Grand Lake
Who: Rocky Mountain PBS will report on the event and the Grand Lake Community