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The MISH :: "Why We Love Fort Collins"


Waking up in Fort Collins always feels like a blessing. Sunshine greets you as it peeks through the curtains, the crisp mountain air perks up your senses as you step outside and take in the green greatness which abounds the city, and your heart fills with joy and excitement as your mind starts reeling with all the incredible ways you can fill your day.

As summer comes around, so does one of our best loved, most prized ongoing happenings... summer concerts at the Mish! Officially known as the Mishawaka Amphitheatre, the Mish is a one-of-a-kind outdoor music venue cached away in the Poudre River Canyon. And it's about to go off starting with local all-stars, our favorite, Head for the Hills, this Saturday, May 16th, kicking off the summer concert season!

The Mishawaka has stood the test of time and Mother Nature. Only recently, threats of flood and fire have put the Mish in grave danger, but it has emerged stronger and better than ever. Despite its ups and downs, the Mish's origins go back to almost a hundred years; beginning in 1916 when homesteader and musician Walter Thomson began building a home on the site, cutting his own lumber, and with his bare hands building a little store, a dance hall, and several cabins. This little grand dream of Walter's may have changed hands and exchanged some buildings out, but at its core... it is still a musical sanctuary for all who visit.

With a bar and restaurant, dance hall, and outdoor stage, your eyes, ears, tastebuds, and souls will relish every second from the moment you step out of the car... or as some prefer, out of the river! The background of the stage is mountain and beside flows the river. As you dance, you become enchanted by the mountains surrounding you and the natural acoustics permeate your ears and whisper "be joyful" to your heart.

Go early, stay late, and eat heartily, for just as everything else there, the menu does not disappoint. During the weekends, the Mish serves breakfast to supper, indoors and out. I personally recommend grabbing brunch on the large outdoor patio overlooking the Poudre River and yo might just be tempted to stay and watch the sunset! Bloody Marys or coffee, a folky afternoon or a rip-roarin' dancing-til-you-drop evening, local or national superstars; whatever your preference, you WILL be happy you made the drive (or rode the shuttle!)

...and this is just another reason Why We Love Fort Collins.

Photo #1 courtesy of the Mishawaka, photo #2 courtesy of Kelsey @ Head for the Hills 2014

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