High Ground Took Us To Higher Ground
Recently, the High Ground Music & Arts Experience returned for a second year to celebrate the magic of Colorado’s nature and local arts scene at its new home, the Denver Polo Club. And boy, it was an amazing time! The two-day festival had over 5,000 attendees across the entire weekend. While the first day was a tad rainy, it didn’t keep the High Ground’s Revelers (their dedicated community of attendees) away on Saturday, September 10th. Seriously, ask any attendee and they’ll tell you that the vibes were high as Troyboi closed out night one of the festivals with his signature brand of bouncing, grooving dance music. And day two was an absolute dream! There was perfect weather and sunny skies for the second wave. Everyone was ready to party it up and the weather joined in on the festivities. Another highlight included a set from slenderbodies, which ignited a friendly game of frisbee among Revelers when the band tossed a disc into the crowd. How fun! The final evening began with the Italian-duo Gioli & Assia giving a magical live performance as the full moon rose. Chromeo ended the festivities on Sunday, September 11th, with an epic extended DJ set that kept the crowd moving all night long. It was truly a dream come true!
There were so many diverse acts on this lineup, including some local Denver talent. The community was in love with the festival and the local authorities enjoyed ZERO incidents with police and/or medical emergencies. This is a beautiful thing! The community was ready to take care of one another as the community is one of the core aspects of this festival. The mother and son business partners Noah Levinson and Jobi Halper infused their community ideals into every aspect of the weekend. Bringing together Colorado’s finest artisans, visual artists, educational platforms, and food and drink vendors, High Ground Music & Arts Experience made sure there was something for every reveler to delight in. And at the end of the two days of fun, the team took the time to write a personal thank-you to each vendor who took the time to support and build the close-knit energy surrounding the event.
It was important to the team to be an inclusive event for all people and they fostered that mission by ensuring that there were ADA-friendly accommodations and community-building activities. All of this helped attendess create a deeper spirit of inclusion, bringing together all the people of Denver for a weekend filled with music and activities like meditation, games, and a bubble station.
Besides the amazing music, the festival was filled to the brim with larger-than-life sculptures and installations, live painters, and muralists, who each contributed to the ethos of High Ground as a whole. Directed by Eliza Schulz of IRL Art, High Ground’s art experience included over 20 live painters, the Qube from Diod.Design, a massive thematic mural created by The Swartz Brothers, and several unique 1-of-1 neon installations by Tori Dipietro.
Rowdy Mermaid shared all-day programming around mindfulness and well-being with the Revelers in the TranscenDome. This included so many offerings such as offered yoga, meditation, reiki, cacao ceremonies, and so much more each day of the festival. High Ground’s nonprofit partner, BoredomFighters, crafted one of the most unique fan experiences at the festival, in their Instrument Garden, where attendees, artists, and other on-site personnel were able to create collaborative music.
In addition, Levinson and Halper took guest feedback to heart in order to improve the event. The team asked revelers to share their opinions on what could be improved, and took immediate action to provide the best experience possible over the weekend. In response, the feedback from the attendees, vendors, and volunteers to the performers, artists, and production team has been beyond positive. Even the mainstage headliners, such as Troyboi, sent a personal message to the festival founder, thanking him and the whole production team for their fantastic hospitality and how appreciative the whole Troyboi team was of their own experience at High Ground. See below for more quotes from various people on great High Ground Music & Arts Experience 2022 was and their excitement for next year already;
“This year was fucking phenomenal “- Rafael Benitez (attendee; both years)
“Seriously, one of the best tests I’ve ever been to” – Taylor Bailey (attendee)
“Such a good time. Can’t wait for next year!” – Dreambay (Stage 2 performer)
“I wanted to start by thanking you both for the incredible group of people you put together. I have worked with countless teams that claim to be a family, but I have never found that to be more true than I have with you all. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Last weekend reminded me why I started doing this in the first place. I am truly reinspired.” – Bayleigh Leach (VIP Director)
By now, you should be convinced to check out next year’s event. Respecting the space and people in attendance, High Ground Music & Arts Experience took painstaking measures to keep the grounds pristine. Despite light rain on night one, the beautiful grassy grounds remained lush and without mud! This leave-no-trace mentality reflects another founding principle of Levitate Events’ ethos behind the festival. High Ground Music & Arts Experience is about honoring all the beauty of Denver—its creatives, people, and stunning nature make it such a special place to be. So, after the second year of highlights, it’s safe to say that the High Ground Music & Arts Experience will return.