Since its first iteration, the Steamboat WinterWonderGrass music festival has served as a proving ground and showcase for artists from all over the world.

From WinterWonderWomen to Buffalo Commons, artists with varying degrees of notoriety have enjoyed the opportunity to come together with the audience, as well as other performers, to create a much anticipated interactive experience and community within the bluegrass music scene.

This year’s event will take place in the Knoll parking lot at Steamboat Resort from Feb. 28 through March 2 and will feature three artists-at-large who will spread their individual and collective talents on the stage with various artists.

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One of those artists is Jon Stickley of the Jon Stickley Trio.

Stickley’s career in music started at a young age when he began performing at a Baptist church that he attended in North Carolina. 

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“That’s probably really where I fell in love with the musical aspect of life,” Stickley said. 

He became proficient on percussion instruments and the guitar during high school. Stickley’s interest in bluegrass began when he met and began playing with Andy Thorn, who is now the banjo player for Leftover Salmon. The duo added Stickley’s brother to the mix and performed throughout high school and into their college years.

In 2004, he moved to Colorado and joined the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band. Members of that group would go on to become members of Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters and Greensky Bluegrass.

“That was the beginning of my Colorado bluegrass experience,” he said.

Stickley would go on to found the Jon Stickley Trio. Based out of Asheville, North Carolina, the group has been touring for the last 15 years throughout the country, becoming a feature at many music festivals including WinterWonderGrass. 

“It blows my mind that (bluegrass) is so popular,” noted Stickley. “It used to be a very small, niche style of music. I am absolutely thrilled that so many artists are crossing over and having mainstream success. I think that is amazing.”

That popularity, according to Stickley, is due to the engaging nature of bluegrass as well as its integration of rock, country, classical and other musical styles.

Stickley’s appearance this year at WWG marks his return to a community of music lovers that he deeply admires. 

“I absolutely love Steamboat for a lot of reasons,” he said. “One of my favorite parts about it is that it is so far out there by itself. It’s kind of like going to another country because you drive through these amazing landscapes to get out there and you have a chance to sit and think without any distractions. When you arrive, it’s this really vibrant community.”

Stickley and his bandmates have previously played in Steamboat at WWG, as well as the free summer concert series.

Recently, his group covered for bluegrass legend Billy Strings at the Renewal festival when Strings had to depart suddenly due to his wife going into labor. 

“I am really thrilled to get (to Steamboat) this February,” he said. “Artists are always thrilled to have a festival opportunity in the wintertime … that is just as comprehensive as all the other big festivals.” 

Stickley noted that the WWG series, particularly the Steamboat event, is “top-tier” among bluegrass festivals due to its artistic curation and the way that captures the essence of Colorado bluegrass. Further, the national diversity featured in the lineup resonates with him, as it allows for deep levels of collaboration among a wide variety of artists. He also sees it as an opportunity for “reunion,” as artists come back together following the busy summer and fall performance season and following winter hiatus. 

“There’s a lot of cross-pollination. I can’t think of any other festivals that are anything like it at all,” he noted. “It’s really unique and extremely high-quality. We regard it as one of the best festivals to be involved in.”

As an artist-at-large at WWG, Stickley will be playing with a wide variety of performers and groups, many who are close friends. He hopes these collaborations will add a depth of emotion and raw power to the festival. 

The other artists-at-large are Lindsay Lou and Kyle Tuttle. 

Lou, who performed at WWG 2024, has ridden a wave of popularity in recent years with her soulful sound and strong connection with the audience. 

Stickley hopes that he will get to play with both Lou and Tuttle this year throughout the festival.

“This music is so communal that people just sit around and do it for fun,” said Stickley. “One of my favorite things to do is to jam with my friends from other bands who I seldom get to see. We often only get to see each other at these festivals. It’s going to be a blast.” 

Stickley is looking forward to reconnecting with Andy Thorn and Leftover Salmon as well as Yonder Mountain String Band, Mountain Grass Unit, Shadowgrass and the Kitchen Dwellers, who he called “new friends.” Daniel Donato, who Stickley met recently, is an artist who he hopes to sit in with for the first time.

“WinterWonderGrass will be my first festival of the year,” he said. “When I get to go to an artist-at-large gig, it’s kind of a break from what I consider work because it is a lot of fun.” 

For more information on WinterWonderGrass at at Winterwondergrass.com/steamboat.