Tag: Levitt Foundation

Colfax, CA — take a bow. Our town of just 2,200 has done something extraordinary: we’ve kept pace with cities 100 times our size and officially earned a spot as a Top 50 finalist in the Levitt AMP Music Series Grant competition. That means we’re one step closer to bringing a multi-year, free outdoor concert series to the heart of downtown Colfax.

After making it into the Top 100 and rallying votes during the national public voting round, Colfax has advanced to the final selection stage. On November 18, 2025, the Levitt Foundation will award matching grants to 15 communities across the country, each one empowered to launch a family-friendly, inclusive, and vibrant music series that breathes life into underused public spaces.

Before the final announcement, we’re taking a moment to celebrate how we got here — and why Colfax is more ready than ever to turn this momentum into a three-year tradition of music, community, and Main Street magic.

How We Got Here (Fast)

A concert — built in weeks

With only a short runway, we produced a four‑artist “Rock the Vote” concert at The Art Park in Colfax, CA, complete with professional sound, lighting, and vote‑help announcements. The lineup:

• Aly Gerlach — Local talent with a massive voice who opened with the National Anthem
• Michael James Cox — Colfax‑born outlaw country + Sierra soul
• The Breakovers — Sierra‑soaked folk/bluegrass/Americana harmonies
• Jennifer Belle — Country powerhouse, Josie Music Awards–nominated
• Tyler Edwards — A former frontman of Billboard-charting I Anthem—delivers cinematic Americana/rock

The result? A packed lawn, kids dancing, neighbors reconnecting, local vendors humming — downtown Colfax alive.

Community everywhere you looked

As part of our Rock the Vote campaign—which featured a multi-artist concert and a city- and county-wide outreach push—we delivered the following:

• Branded merchandise — Our “Rock the Vote” T-shirts – did double duty: it turned supporters into walking billboards that sparked conversations on every block and raised $1,600+ in just a couple of weeks. Those dollars helped us book professional-caliber talent, proving we can deliver top-tier shows in Colfax.
• Business partnerships: Local Colfax businesses like The Colfax Bistro, Snapdragon Provisions, The Wrecking Crew, Main Street Pizza, Tj’s Restaurant, The Red Frog, Colfax Smog & Auto, the Colfax Visitors Center, Colfax Railroad Heritage Museum, and Marvel Sierra Market hosted info stands, QR codes, posters, handouts explaining how and when to vote.
• Public presence: outreach booths at community events, a billboard on I‑80, and a rally at the Colfax High School football game kept the message in front of families and commuters.
• Social media blitz: posts, Stories, Reels, and shareables flooded local and regional feeds with reminders, countdowns, and calls to action on our Visit Historic Colfax platform.
• Inclusive access: when our website lagged, we emphasized text‑to‑vote so no one was left out by tech hiccups.

Partners who made it possible

• Placer County, Supervisor Cindy Gustafson’s office, Placer County Economic and Housing department, Visit Placer, and the Arts Council of Placer County amplified our voice across the region.
• Historic Colfax Downtown Association (HCDA) Board — special thanks to Gretchen Boyce, Patrice Goulet, and Todd Saylor — rolled up sleeves from planning to teardown.
• Soroptimist Club ran the bar and helped promote the cause.
• Colfax Chamber of Commerce (Angie Rodrigues and Amanda Palmquist) rallied merchants and shared updates.
• City of Colfax made the park shine; Mayor Sean Lomen and Council Members Kim Douglass and Larry Hillberg backed the effort.

How Colfax, CA Meets the Levitt Foundation Key Factors

Projected Impact on Community & Public Space

A Levitt AMP Music Series Grant would be transformative for Colfax, CA — not just in sound, but in spirit. If awarded, this grant would fund 7–10 free outdoor concerts each summer for three consecutive years, creating a consistent, high-quality event series that turns warm evenings into community celebrations.

Our proposed venue? Depot Park — the grassy, tree-lined area next to the historic Colfax train station. This space is already beloved by locals but underutilized for large-scale programming. With Levitt’s support, we envision it coming alive with families on picnic blankets, kids dancing near the stage, and neighbors reconnecting under string lights and stars. It’s walkable, accessible, centrally located next to public parking and ADA bathrooms, and steeped in the character that makes Colfax unique.

Beyond the music, the ripple effects are substantial. These events would:

• Activate underused public space and give residents a reason to gather consistently.
• Support small businesses, with increased foot traffic for local shops, restaurants, and lodging.
• Boost civic pride, drawing visitors from across Placer County and giving locals something big to look forward to.
• Strengthen Colfax’s identity as a creative, inclusive, and culturally vibrant town.

Depot Park is more than a space — it’s a stage for community revival. And with Levitt’s help, we’re ready to turn it into a musical heartbeat for downtown Colfax.

Feasibility of Implementation (Matching Funds & Logistics)

When it comes to delivering high-quality live events, Colfax, CA has already proven its capacity to execute — quickly, safely, and professionally. Our “Rock the Vote” concert at The Art Park was built from the ground up in just a matter of weeks, showcasing what’s possible when our city, partners, and volunteers come together with a shared mission.

From booking artists and coordinating stage production, to securing professional lighting, sound, site ops, and security, the entire event was run with the kind of precision and community spirit that Levitt expects from grantees. And it didn’t just run smoothly — it felt like a festival, with energy, excitement, and purpose pulsing through the crowd.

But logistics are only one piece. The other is matching funds — and Colfax is ready there, too.

• Over $1,600 raised in merchandise sales alone in just days — a strong sign of early grassroots buy-in.
• Multiple local organizations and small businesses have already pledged sponsorships to help meet our matching fund requirements.
• The City of Colfax, the Soroptimists, and the Colfax Chamber of Commerce are all on board, offering both in-kind and logistical support.
• Volunteer crews are committed and growing, drawing from local civic groups, youth programs, and residents passionate about music and community.

We’re not starting from scratch. We’re building on momentum — with clear operational capacity, a growing base of supporters, and a financial path already taking shape. Colfax isn’t just ready to host a Levitt AMP Music Series — we’ve already started.

Programming philosophy (diverse, inclusive, family‑friendly)

Our roster blended local roots (Michael James Cox, Aly Gerlach) with regional and national acts (The Breakovers, Jennifer Belle, Tyler Edwards), spanning outlaw country, folk/bluegrass/Americana, and modern country—family‑friendly by design. It’s so important to us that we introduce Colfax to all types of music!

Why the Levitt Foundation Should Choose Colfax, CA

Awarding the Levitt AMP Music Series Grant to Colfax, California would be transformational. Here’s why this investment matters — and why Colfax is the perfect fit for Levitt’s mission.

1. Colfax Is Ready — We Just Need the Resources
Colfax may be small, but we’ve proven we can move fast and work together. Without a full-time events team or a big-city budget, we successfully produced a professionally run, multi-artist concert that brought our town together in a matter of weeks. We’ve shown that when given a reason, this community shows up — and shows out. What we lack in funding, we more than make up for in grit, heart, and hustle. A Levitt AMP Music Series Grant would provide the structure and support we need to turn this spark into a sustainable, long-term tradition.

2. It Would Revitalize Our Historic Downtown
The series would activate Depot Park, a green, walkable space in the heart of Colfax. Located next to the train station and blocks from from I-80, it’s the ideal venue to transform into a lively cultural hub that boosts downtown businesses and tourism.

3. Colfax Embodies Levitt’s Core Values
We’re a small town with deep roots and a big heart — a place where people still show up for one another. The Levitt series would amplify our unique identity, foster belonging, and make live music accessible to everyone.

4. This Grant Would Spark Long-Term Change
This isn’t just about concerts — it’s about civic renewal. The Levitt series would reconnect neighbors, reenergize Main Street, and give residents and visitors a reason to come downtown again and again.

5. We Serve a Much Larger Region
Colfax is surrounded by small rural towns that lack access to free, high-quality music. We can be the cultural connector for the Sierra Foothills — offering inclusive, family-friendly events that serve far beyond our city limits.

This grant would change the trajectory of Main Street Colfax. Not just for a season — but for a generation. We’re ready to make it happen. All we need is the spotlight.

What’s Next while we wait for the Levitt Foundation’s Decision

Long before we knew we had secured a spot in the Top 100 — let alone advanced to the Top 50 finalists — simply applying for the Levitt AMP Music Series Grant sparked something powerful in Colfax, CA. It inspired a collective mindset shift: Why wait?

So we didn’t. We began bringing more music to downtown Colfax right away.

That spirit continues with the Pints & Grooves event (formerly Oktoberfest) on October 4, 2025, a celebration featuring live music, local brews, food vendors, and family-friendly fun right in the heart of historic downtown Colfax. It’s another example of our commitment to cultural vibrancy, regardless of the grant outcome — but it’s also a taste of what’s possible with Levitt’s support.

Thank You, Colfax, CA — Let’s Keep the Music Going

To every single person who voted, shared, performed, volunteered, donated, hosted, staffed, or simply showed up — your support made this possible. Together, we showed that a town as small as Colfax, CA can rise to the national stage, proving that community spirit and creativity don’t depend on population size.

We didn’t just apply for the Levitt AMP Music Series Grant — we rallied for it. We dreamed big, came together fast, and put Colfax on the map in a way that reflects who we truly are: a small town with a massive heart and deep love for live music.

This isn’t the finish line — it’s the first verse of something bigger. No matter what happens on November 18, we’ve already created momentum. We’ve reawakened downtown. We’ve reminded ourselves what it feels like to gather, celebrate, and dance under the stars.

Music belongs in Colfax, CA. And we’re ready to make it a Main Street tradition for years to come.🎶💛

Want to get involved with our efforts? Let us know here!

— Historic Colfax Downtown Association