Huerfano County commissioners continue hearing on proposed 3‑day music festival after neighbors raise safety, notice and road concerns

Huerfano County commissioners on March 31 continued a public hearing on land use application 25‑035, a temporary assembly permit for a proposed three‑day music festival at Hummingbird Ranch near Walsenburg. The board voted unanimously to renotice the hearing and resume public comment on April 14, 2026.

County staff said the application, submitted by QTB LLC d/b/a Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, requests permission for up to 7,500 patrons and about 1,000 staff for a weekend music festival. Staff told the board the application was deemed complete on Jan. 26, 2026, and that referral responses were received from eight agencies; staff recommended approval with conditions required by the county land‑use code.

Jay Rogo, the festival director identified himself to the board and described the event as a full weekend experience combining music, local workshops and outdoor activities. "Our goal is to build a positive long‑term partnership that supports both the local community and its economy," Rogo said, and said the promoters aim to leave sites "better than we found it." Rogo and other applicant representatives also cited prior fundraising and economic impact from similar events.

Applicant representatives and county staff told commissioners they planned multiple mitigation measures: main‑stage sound would end at midnight, stage placement and enclosures would be used to contain sound, and event operators would adopt wildlife recommendations including covered or secured dumpsters, requiring food vendors to secure attractants overnight and providing signage and attendee education about bear‑safe behavior.

Several residents at the hearing supported the event for its local economic benefits, and some offered operational help such as staging areas to reduce traffic. Ray Garcia, a former county commissioner, said previous festivals produced a measurable boost in sales tax and hotel occupancy.

Other residents urged caution. "Five days is not enough time for any of us to be able to come together," said Alice Fder, who said she only learned of the hearing the night before and raised concerns about emergency evacuation on a one‑lane road, limited security staffing, enforcement of sound restrictions and wildfire risk. Roger Castle, who lives on Lazcar Road, said the scale of the proposed event and thousands of additional vehicle trips would overwhelm gravel roads and increase fire danger.

Commissioners pressed applicants on roads and fire safety. Applicants said they would prepare a road‑impact mitigation plan, and county staff said the county could require mag‑chloride surface treatment and a road‑use agreement if needed. Applicants also committed to working with the local fire protection district to tailor fire‑safety conditions, and said a communal firepit would be allowed only if the district and conditions permit.

The hearing did not close. County staff acknowledged that some notices to adjacent property owners were not posted until March 25, and the board decided to continue the hearing to allow proper renotification, more time for neighbors to comment and for the applicant to address outstanding mitigation details.

The continuation leaves substantive questions unresolved: the final list of permit conditions, the scope of required road improvements or contributions, the specific fire‑district equipment and staffing the event will require, and whether the county will set limits or monitoring for noise and wildlife impacts. The board will reopen public comment and allow applicant responses on April 14, 2026.