Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The strength of the Taste of South Routt is its adherence to tradition, organizer Julie Hoff said. But that doesn’t mean the organizers don’t want to shake up the event with some new music. This year, the annual food and music festival has a new headliner full of Steamboat and South Routt residents

Cornbread, formed in time for the 2009 Great North Routt Chili Cook-off, is a bluegrass band on steroids, singer Scott Kirtin said.

The band mixes in some rock, still using bluegrass instruments, and is faster than typical bluegrass music, he said.

The band is a good fit for the concert, he said, because it already has established an Oak Creek fan base.

Kirtin, an 11-year Oak Creek resident, said the band has played at the Mugshot Coffee Shop several times, along with gigs at the Ghost Ranch Saloon and Hahn’s Peak Café. He said he’s excited to play at the Taste of South Routt because it’s always a favorite event.

“I love it. I love all the South Routt community get-togethers,” he said. “The people in South Routt, they really put on a good party.”

Hoff said this year’s Taste will have eight food vendors with a total of 22 or 23 vendors.

She said she wanted to keep the general feel of the event the same as previous years while adding a few new elements.

“It’s a very traditional event, and I don’t think anybody wants it to change too much, is the message I got from the residents of South Routt,” she said.

Bonfiglio’s Drug and Liquor will have snow cones, and Chel­sea’s Restaurant, Lupita’s Can­tina, Rachel’s Smokin’ Cafe, Sumatra, The Antlers, Mugshot and The Oak will have booths at the event, she said.

Doors open at noon, and the music starts at 12:30 p.m. with the Green Ridge Ramblers. At 2, the Jasmir Bellydance Troupe will perform for half an hour, followed by the Yampa Valley Boys from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. From 3:30 to 4:30, Deb Lenhart will play, followed by Cornbread from 4:30 to 6 p.m.