FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jerry Campbell, Executive Director
Organization: Trinidaddio Blues Fest
Email: contact@trinidaddiobluesfest.com
Websites: www.trinidaddio.com | www.trinidaddiobluesfest.com

TRINIDADDIO BLUES FEST RETURNS TO DOWNTOWN TRINIDAD IN 2026

Beloved Free Music Festival Revives a Longstanding Colorado Tradition

TRINIDAD, CO — After a three-year hiatus, the Trinidaddio Blues Fest is officially returning to the heart of downtown Trinidad, Colorado on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29, 2026. The Board of Directors of Trinidaddio Blues Fest, a Colorado charitable nonprofit organization, has begun preparations for what promises to be a world-class weekend of blues, roots music, community celebration, and economic vitality for southern Colorado.

The festival’s return follows productive discussions between the Trinidaddio Blues Fest Board of Directors and Trinidad City Manager Tara Marshall, along with renewed support from the City of Trinidad through infrastructure assistance and financial backing.

“We are incredibly grateful to Tara Marshall and the City of Trinidad for their support and belief in this event,” said Jerry Campbell, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of Trinidaddio Blues Fest. “Trinidaddio has always been more than a music festival — it’s a celebration of our community, our culture, and the spirit of Trinidad. Bringing this event back to downtown is a meaningful moment for everyone who has supported it over the years.”

For more than two decades, Trinidaddio Blues Fest has attracted music fans from across Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, and beyond, generating significant tourism activity for local restaurants, hotels, retailers, and downtown businesses while introducing thousands of visitors to the City of Trinidad.

Event Details

Dates: Friday, August 28 & Saturday, August 29, 2026
Location: Downtown Trinidad — Main Street and Convent Street
Admission: FREE to the public

2026 Tentative Artist Lineup

Vanessa Collier

Acclaimed saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter Vanessa Collier continues to establish herself as one of the most decorated and electrifying artists in contemporary blues. A graduate of Berklee College of Music and former touring member of the Joe Louis Walker Band, Collier has become a major force on the international blues circuit with her fiery saxophone playing, soulful vocals, and deeply personal songwriting.

Originally from the Philadelphia area and now based in South Carolina, Collier is a fifteen-time Blues Music Award nominee and five-time Blues Music Award winner, including four wins for Horn Player of the Year (2019, 2020, 2024, 2025) and Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year (2022). In 2026, she received Blues Music Award nominations for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Band of the Year, and Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, where she also delivered a scorching performance during the Blues Music Awards ceremony. Her latest release, Do It My Own Way (Phenix Fire Records), earned critical acclaim nationwide and further solidified her reputation as one of blues music’s premier performers.

Living Blues Magazine praised her “indisputable virtuosity,” while the Boston Globe called her performances “scorching” and “infectious.” In 2025, Collier made her Chicago Blues Festival debut before tens of thousands of fans.

Selwyn Birchwood

Tampa, Florida-based guitarist, lap steel player, vocalist, and songwriter Selwyn Birchwood is widely regarded as one of the leading voices of the new generation of blues artists. Birchwood first gained international recognition after winning both the 2013 International Blues Challenge and the prestigious Albert King Guitarist of the Year Award.

A Blues Music Award winner and multiple nominee, Birchwood has earned praise from Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, and Living Blues for his explosive guitar work and genre-defying blend of deep blues, swamp funk, Southern soul, and psychedelic rock influences. His latest release, Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues, is his first fully self-produced album and showcases his distinctive sound and fearless songwriting approach. The album reached #1 on the Living Blues Radio Chart, further cementing Birchwood’s status as one of today’s leading contemporary blues artists.

Birchwood has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe and has appeared at many of the nation’s most respected blues festivals. Critics have described him as “a powerhouse guitarist and soulful vocalist” whose performances push contemporary blues into exciting new territory.

Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport

At only 19 years old, Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport of Vicksburg, Mississippi has rapidly become one of the most talked-about young performers in blues music. A multi-instrumentalist who began playing harmonica and guitar at age seven, Davenport has already built a reputation as a commanding live performer with exceptional technical ability and deep traditional blues roots.

Davenport has earned consecutive nominations for the Blues Blast Magazine Sean Costello Rising Star Award in 2024 and 2025, along with a 2025 nomination for the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH) Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of the Year Award. In 2026, he was featured on the cover of Living Blues Magazine.

His first performance in Chicago generated more than 165,000 Facebook views and thousands of shares, helping propel him onto major stages including Chicago Blues Festival, King Biscuit Blues Festival, Notodden Blues Festival in Norway, and Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club. Blues legend Billy Branch praised Davenport’s remarkable talent and focus, calling him one of the most gifted young blues artists he has encountered in decades.

Dave Specter

Chicago guitarist Dave Specter is considered one of the modern masters of Chicago blues guitar. With a recording career spanning more than 35 years on the legendary Delmark Records label, Specter has become an internationally respected performer, songwriter, and bandleader.

His latest album, Live at SPACE (Delmark Records, 2025), has received widespread critical acclaim and chart success, including a #1 position on the Living Blues Radio Chart and the NACC community and college radio charts. Specter has also received Living Blues Album of the Year recognition, a DownBeat Magazine Editor’s Pick, and major international praise from Soul Bag Magazine in France.

Throughout his career, Specter has collaborated with artists including Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna and has been featured in Vintage Guitar, DownBeat, Blues Blast Magazine, and major blues publications around the world.

Ken Saydak

Chicago-born pianist, organist, accordionist, vocalist, and producer Ken Saydak has spent more than five decades performing and recording with some of the most respected names in blues music. After performing at the very first Trinidaddio Blues Fest in 1999, Saydak relocated to southern Colorado, first near Trinidad and later in La Veta, where he became a beloved fixture of the regional music community for more than 25 years before moving to Tucson, Arizona in 2025.

A recording artist for Delmark and Evidence Records, Saydak has appeared on more than 70 albums and has worked alongside legendary artists including Johnny Winter, Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Lonnie Brooks, Willie Kent, and Lurrie Bell. His international touring career has taken him across Europe, Africa, Israel, and Japan.

Among his acclaimed releases are Love Without Trust, Foolish Man, It’s My Soul, and the Live in La Veta series. Billboard Magazine described Saydak as “a gripping frontman,” while France’s Soul Bag Magazine called him “a worthy heir to Otis Spann.” He also hosts The Trinidaddio Blues Hours weekly on KCRT-FM in Trinidad.

Zakk DeBono and The Broken Circle

Trinidad native Zakk DeBono has emerged as one of southern Colorado’s most exciting young blues-rock guitarists. A D’Addario-endorsed artist, DeBono has attracted industry attention for his powerful stage performances and modern blues-rock style.

He has collaborated with Tony Valentino of the legendary garage-rock band The Standells, who described DeBono as “the best new thing music has to offer.” DeBono has performed at iconic venues including the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood and Stone Brewing’s Sunset Sessions in San Diego.

His upcoming recording project with Valentino and his expanding national profile continue to generate momentum as he prepares to headline Friday night at Trinidaddio Blues Fest.

Allison August

Southern California-based singer-songwriter Allison August is one of the rising names in Blues Americana music. A 2026 Blues Music Award nominee for Best Emerging Artist Album for August Moon, August blends blues, Americana, soul, jazz, country, funk, and classic singer-songwriter traditions into a deeply personal and emotionally resonant style.

Raised in a four-generation musical family, August began writing songs at age nine and performing professionally as a teenager. Her early band, Barebones, developed a strong following in California during the 1990s.

Her 2025 album August Moon, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Tony Braunagel, features an all-star cast including Sugaray Rayford, Teresa James, Jimmy Z, Gregg Sutton, Billy Watts, and Bryan Head. The release has received widespread acclaim for its authenticity, musicianship, and powerful storytelling.

August’s music reflects themes of resilience, motherhood, perseverance, and hope, delivered with soulful vocals and a commanding stage presence that has quickly earned sold-out performances and growing national attention.

The Delta Sonics featuring Al Chesis

Denver’s Delta Sonics, led by harmonica master Al Chesis, remain one of Colorado’s most celebrated and enduring blues bands. Known for their hard-driving Chicago-style blues and energetic live performances, the group has been a cornerstone of the regional blues scene for decades.

The band earned Westword Magazine’s “Best Blues Band in Denver” honors for six consecutive years and has repeatedly been voted a favorite by the Colorado Blues Society, including Favorite Blues Band and Favorite Blues Duo honors in recent years.

In 2022, Chesis received the Colorado Blues Society Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his decades-long contribution to Colorado blues music. A longtime Hohner Harmonica endorsee, Chesis has also performed and recorded with Blues Hall of Famer Bob Margolin.

Their latest release, Concrete Hotel, received the Colorado Blues Society’s Favorite CD recognition in 2026.

Jaquie Gipson

Trinidad guitarist Jaquie Gipson has become one of southern Colorado’s most distinctive acoustic performers through her innovative “Touche Guitar” technique — a style blending fingerstyle guitar, melodic tapping, and percussive elements.

Performing on both six- and twelve-string acoustic guitar, Gipson has released four studio albums: Just Guitar, Home Town, Images, and Through the Wood. Her music reflects the deep artistic spirit and creative traditions of Trinidad itself, making her a beloved hometown favorite.

Lineup is tentative and subject to change. Additional artist announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

Vendor applications, sponsorship opportunities, and festival updates will be available soon at www.trinidaddiobluesfest.com.

Trinidaddio Blues Fest remains a free community event made possible through the support of sponsors, donors, volunteers, and community partners. Donations to support the festival may be made through the organization’s website. Please Donate Here

“Yes, we’re putting this together on an eleventh-hour timeline,” Campbell added, “but Trinidaddio has always been powered by people who believe in this community and believe in live music. Every time this festival returns, Trinidad rises to the occasion. We’re proud to bring the blues back downtown, and we can’t wait to welcome music fans from across the region back to Trinidad this August.”

For festival updates, artist announcements, sponsorship information, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.trinidaddiobluesfest.com.

About Trinidaddio Blues Fest

Founded in 1999, Trinidaddio Blues Fest has grown from a modest gathering at Trinidad’s historic Elm Street Station into one of southern Colorado’s premier music events. Over more than two decades, the festival has welcomed nationally and internationally recognized blues artists to Trinidad while helping establish the city as a regional destination for live music, arts, tourism, and culture.

Originally attracting fewer than 1,000 attendees, the festival rapidly expanded and soon moved to Central Park before eventually transforming downtown Trinidad into a vibrant open-air music venue. Throughout its history, Trinidaddio has consistently drawn visitors from across the I-25 corridor and beyond, generating millions of dollars in tourism activity for local businesses, restaurants, hotels, retailers, and hospitality partners.

The festival has long been recognized not only for the quality of its musical lineup, but also for its community-centered atmosphere and economic impact. Over the years, Trinidaddio helped energize Trinidad’s downtown entertainment district and contributed to expanded opportunities for local businesses, artists, musicians, vendors, and nonprofit organizations.

Beginning in 2017, Trinidaddio partnered with the City of Trinidad to expand free public programming in the downtown district, creating large-scale outdoor performances that brought thousands of residents and visitors together in the city’s historic core. In 2021, the organization transitioned the festival into a fully free downtown event, making nationally recognized live music more accessible than ever before.

The Trinidaddio organization also expanded its programming beyond the blues festival itself by developing additional summer concert events celebrating Americana, Latin, and roots music traditions. These events further strengthened Trinidad’s growing reputation as a creative and cultural hub for southern Colorado.

Operated entirely by volunteers and governed by a nonprofit Board of Directors, Trinidaddio Blues Fest has remained deeply committed to community reinvestment. Over the years, the organization has supported numerous local charities, scholarship funds, youth programs, educational initiatives, and community service organizations throughout Trinidad and Las Animas County.

Following the successful 2022 festival, the organization entered a temporary hiatus while exploring long-term sustainability and future partnerships. The 2026 return represents a renewed commitment to building a strong, sustainable future for live music and cultural tourism in Trinidad.

Today, Trinidaddio Blues Fest continues its mission of bringing world-class blues and roots music to Trinidad while celebrating community, supporting local businesses, and creating memorable cultural experiences for residents and visitors alike.

Trinidaddio Blues Fest is a Colorado charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting world-class blues and roots music while supporting community engagement, tourism, arts education, and economic development in Trinidad, Colorado.

Sources

Artist information compiled from official artist biographies, label materials, festival press kits, and Blues Foundation award listings.