Smalltown For The Cause: Music. Yoga. Community. River.
Campout For The Cause began back in 2009 as a mellow night under the stars — friends gathered on the grass, music in the air, the Colorado River community. Fast-forward to today, and that one starry evening has blossomed into the newly named Smalltown For The Cause, a multi-day, multi-generational celebration of music, movement and community, now joyfully rooted in Salida’s iconic river region. Elephant Revival — Colorado’s own cosmic-folk darlings — will headline both Friday and Saturday nights, spinning their spell of haunting harmonies and earth-soaked rhythms.
In Salida, the Arkansas River flows through town beneath the Collegiate Peaks. Photos courtesy of Smalltown For The Cause/Scott Peterson.
This year’s festival is Sept. 19 and 20, 2025, and in Colorado’s prime river and peaks country — where the mountains meet the water, the sunsets project palettes of color and musical notes echo off the Collegiate Peaks. Scotty Stoughton, festival founder and producer, explains, “Salida is such a cool town — it’s got its own vibe, its own heartbeat. We bring incredible music, an inspired ethos and the kind of local love you can feel the moment you get here. It’s a beautiful gathering in a beautiful place, surrounded by beautiful people.”
Smalltown For The Cause’s new digs feature towering cottonwoods shading the grassy lawns, the Arkansas River flowing steps away and the scent of campfire mingling with the aroma of food trucks parked along F Street. But Smalltown is more than music. Yoga in the Park remains a cornerstone, with mats lining the riverbank each morning. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or you still think “downward dog” sounds like a hiking trail, you’ll find a yoga experience that fits. Sessions and workshops stretch beyond Riverside Park to the South Ark Neighborhood Camping Area.
Elephant Revival — Colorado’s own cosmic-folk darlings — will headline both Friday and Saturday nights. Photo by Zach Mahone.
The team is also expanding its offerings for younger festival-goers. Camp Coletrain — a major kids’ initiative — invites children to dive into two mornings of music-making with Coletrain Music Academy and Bonfire Entertainment. Beyond the tunes, kids can enjoy yoga designed just for them, arts and crafts stations, plus other creative activities that keep little hands and minds inspired all weekend long.
The music menu is as eclectic as it is soulful — foot-stomping beats from Moontricks, the spirited string magic of Clay Street Unit, a Grateful Deadinspired romp with Pickin’ on the Dead, plus sets from Ramona, Deer Creek Sharpshooters, Lindsay Lou, WinterWonderWomen, Kat Factor of Gone Gone Beyond and plenty more surprises. Education and collaboration, as always, are rooted into the festival’s DNA. Workshops explore all realms of creativity: songwriting circles where strangers become bandmates, meditative moments under cottonwood trees, hands-on instrument-making and even lessons in regenerative farming for those who want to leave the land better than they found it.
Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or you still think “downward dog” sounds like a hiking trail, you’ll find a yoga experience that fits. Photo by Zach Mahone.
By night, Riverside Park transforms — string lights twinkling overhead, the river shimmering in the moonlight and the town of Salida humming with post-show energy. Downtown bars and cafes swing their doors open to festival-goers, and the whole community feels like it’s dancing together.
Snag regular general admission, children’s tickets or full-event passes online. Whether you come for the music, the yoga, the river or simply the joy of gathering under a star-filled, cosmic-coated Colorado sky, Smalltown For The Cause promises one thing: you’ll leave lighter, happier and already dreaming of next year. As a bonus, each year, Smalltown For The Cause selects different nonprofits to receive the funds raised, making every ticket a tiny act of generosity.
Originally published in the fall 2025 issue of Spoke+Blossom.