UNC, downtown Greeley partner for Friday concert

GREELEY — An annual spring concert staged by the University of Northern Colorado is getting a Friday Fest-style upgrade this year thanks to a new partnership with Greeley’s Downtown Development Authority  — the people responsible for creating Greeley’s signature summer outdoor concert series.

Set for Friday, the Bear Fest 2026 concert is moving off campus and into downtown, bringing what has traditionally been a student-focused experience into the heart of Greeley, inviting community members to take part in the free celebration.

The music festival will kick off at 6 p.m. on the Ninth Street Plaza and Entertainment District with UNC student vendors, games, activities and music from a lineup of student musicians at local venues. The main stage also opens at 6 p.m. with a student deejay, followed by a Battle of the Bears competition at 7 p.m. and indie artist headliner Thomas Day, a semifinalist from season 15 of “America’s Got Talent,” closing the event from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“Bear Fest has always been an important tradition for our students — a chance to come together, celebrate the end of the academic year and build community,” Keri Knight, director of student activities and fraternity and sorority life, said in a prepared statement. “The partnership with the DDA not only allowed us to continue this important event this year, but to reimagine it in a way that strengthens our connection with the Greeley community.”

UNC and the DDA combined efforts this year to share the cost of the event, allowing the university to invest its  resources in securing a more nationally recognized artist, and the DDA to invest its resources in production costs and activating the city’s entertainment district.

“I couldn’t be happier to be working and partnering with UNC to bring their spring concert to Downtown Greeley,” Daniela Hernandez, the DDA’s marketing and events coordinator, said in a news release. “I’m in close communication with our downtown businesses, and they all want to create stronger and more meaningful relationships with students to encourage a college town feel and culture here in Greeley. I really think this partnership and these efforts will begin closer relationships between our college students and local businesses. In my marketing role at the DDA, I believe in genuine connection, so I hope we can show students just how awesome and involved our downtown community truly is. It’s no lie that our community becomes more vibrant when everyone gets involved.”

The change in venue was spearheaded by Lola Chavez, a UNC senior double majoring in communications studies and marketing. Chavez also serves as the outreach and communications coordinator with UNC’s University Program Council, the group responsible for planning the spring concert and a host of other student activities every year.

Now in her third year with the council. Chavez began attending the Downtown Business Group monthly meetings last fall to make more community connections. It has been her dream to connect the annual student celebration with the greater community downtown — something similar to Friday Fest, but with a UNC focus.

“When I got my position this last year, my big goal for outreach and communication was to involve more Greeley and downtown businesses into our university events,” Chavez said. “I started that by bringing back the homecoming parade last year and I really tried to carry that focus and energy into this year. I’m hoping that this really helps bring UNC and Greeley closer together.”

After nearly six months of collaboration between the council and the DDA, that vision is coming to life much faster than she anticipated.

“I very much thought this was a far-off dream,” Chavez said. “But then we [Chavez and Hernandez] just kept rolling and going ‘what if, what if.’ It’s really exciting for me to see that the brainchild of this idea I really wanted is now happening.”

For Chavez, though, there’s still plenty to do before Friday. Working alongside seven other student employees, she’s finalizing details for a major concert in the final weeks of the semester while studying for finals and preparing to graduate on May 9.

“At other universities, a staff coordinator would typically plan an event like this,” Knight said. ““But at UNC, it’s our students who take the lead, and they are gaining incredible experience for their careers — booking artists, negotiating contacts, working with stakeholders and the budget office. I’m really proud of the work they are doing.”

More information about Bear Fest 2026, including the full schedule of on-campus events starting at noon with the Puppy Social, Maker’s Den and County Fair, is online at unco.edu/bear-fest. To sign up to sponsor the event downtown, contact [email protected].

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