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Aug. 11—Despite a lawsuit filed in Boulder County District Court last week against Planet Bluegrass owner Craig Ferguson, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival will go on this weekend as planned at the ranch in Lyons, where thousands of folk music fans and artists will gather for three days of music and magic.

As first reported by the Denver Post, Ferguson is being sued by a former employee alleging persistent sexual harassment, unwanted touching and wrongful termination, according to the lawsuit. Planet Bluegrass attorney Josh Kirkpatrick on Wednesday called the allegations "unsubstantiated" in a statement.

Allegations aside, gates for the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival open at 10 a.m. Friday and close after an 8:30 p.m. set from Charley Crockett on Sunday. Throughout the weekend, some of folk's favorite troubadours, from Steven Kellogg and Larkin Poe to the Secret Sisters and Tank and the Bangas are set to take the stage at the ranch fairgrounds while festivalgoers have an option to camp and dip their feet into the St. Vrain.

In a state that is saturated with folk music shows and festivals galore, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest has, for more than 30 years, broken the mold of what a "typical" folk festival looks like. The festival features artists who don't quite adhere to the strophic structure. This year, the mind-blowingly talented husband-and-wife duo Shovels & Rope will grace the festival's main stage on Saturday — and anyone who's seen the pair live knows that Shovels & Rope are anything but traditional.

The duo is known for taking the stage on their respective instruments — drums, keyboard, guitar, and sometimes all three at the same time (literally not a joke). Halfway through the set, they'll stand up, and switch places — one taking the other's guitar, the other taking a seat at the drum set. (Oh, and did I mention that they both can sing?)

Another powerful headliner attendees can look forward to is the brilliant singer-songwriter Crockett, set to close the festival on Sunday. A jazz, blues and roots artist as much as a folk artist, Crockett is recognized for his weathered voice that carries the weight of life's stories and a guitar that dances between genres.

One of the most highly anticipated features of the festival, however, lies in the unknown — or lesser known, rather — with the festival's renowned Songwriter Showcase. Taking place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, this smaller and quieter corner of the festival features stripped-down, pared-back performances by up-and-coming artists who are making waves in the folk music world.

The Songwriter Showcase is a nationally recognized singer-songwriter competition, open to anyone who writes and performs original music, and who is not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal. Hundreds of independent artists submit songs for submission, but only a final 10 are chosen to perform at the festival. The winner gets a Taylor Guitar, $400, and 2024 Folks Fest performance on the main stage, and a recording session at Animal Lane Studio in Lyons.

"Perpetuating bluegrass and folk music while inspiring its evolution for future generations is core to our mission," said Kyra Holt, sustainability and schools coordinator for Planet Bluegrass. "We love being able to support creatives as they pave their own musical road.

"The opportunity for the top 10 finalists to play the Main Stage for thousands of people is a rare opportunity and can be a springboard for many artists into a larger career. It is a joy to experience the humble beginnings of so many artists."

Cole Scheifele, a Denver-based singer and songwriter, will take the stage on Friday as one of the 10 showcase finalists.

"This is my second time being a finalist in this competition, so the first time it was really kind of a shock," Scheifele said. "It's still kind of a shock to be selected from so many people. It's an honor to be chosen out of so, so many talented artists, and an honor to share the stage with them."

Scheifele's music is melodic, beautiful and simple in its instrumentation, yet lyrically complex. According to Scheifele, two songs from his upcoming album titled "Cutting the Cosmos" and "Maybe" were submitted to the Planet Bluegrass judges. If they're lucky, attendees of the songwriter showcase might be able to catch one of these two songs live on Friday.

"'Maybe' is kind of this really vulnerable tune, one of the more personal one's I've ever written," Scheifle said. "'Cutting the Cosmos' is a longer-form, storytelling kind of song. It's kind of a love story about a lost love. I wanted to submit two different styles and give judges two different sides of me and my songwriting."

And though Scheifle is a veteran of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest — and a veteran of Red Rocks, where he opened a sold-out show for Dermot Kennedy in May — he said he's still a little nervous about performing at this year's festival.

"I'm definitely not as nervous as last time," Scheifle said. "Last time I was so, so nervous. Even though it's a pretty chill performance and the crowd at Rocky Mountain Folks Fest is pretty low-key — they're usually just arriving at the festival and settling in at the time of the showcase — it's still nerve-racking to get up in front of all these people, and to be judged on your performance."

Joining Scheifle at the Songwriter Showcase on Friday is veteran Denver musician Joel Van Horne — also known by his stage name, Covenhoven.

Van Horne, who grew up in Colorado, has a career in folk music spanning 10 years, and the chops to show for it. His latest album, "IV," presents a dreamy, meticulously crafted tracklist that is tinged with candid and emotional songwriting.

Van Horne said he's thrilled to be competing in the showcase, but sees it as more of a learning experience than a contest.

"I'm just there to have fun, I'm not really thinking of it as a competition," Van Horne said. "I'm more thinking of it as an opportunity to meet other songwriters and musicians and music fans."

Van Horne acknowledged that he has some "good competition" in the showcase.

"There's some folks competing that are from out of state, which is really cool, and Jackson Emmer stands out to me — he just won the Telluride Troubadour contest," Van Horne said.

Securing Van Horne a spot among the 10 competitors are two of Covenhoven's newer songs — "Only Time Can Tell" and "Aeroplane."

To check out Scheifle, Van Horne, and the eight other Songwriter Showcase contestants, be sure to get to the Main Stage by 10:30 a.m. Friday.

For tickets, lineup information and more, visit bluegrass.com/folks.