Colfax brings live music back to Main Street

On May 30, hundreds of residents, families and visitors from across the Interstate 80 corridor filled Art Park on South Main Street in Historic Downtown Colfax for the opening concert of the 2026 Live in Colfax Summer Concert Series — a free, all-ages outdoor music event produced by the Historic Colfax Downtown Association (HCDA). Wayward Buffalo, a Gold Country Americana band known for its honest songwriting and harmonies rooted in the Sierra Foothills, headlined the night. Local Colfax musician Michael James Cox — whose sound blends Ozarks-rooted outlaw country and bluegrass — opened the show to a crowd that packed the closed street from end to end. The Live in Colfax series exists because a small city decided it deserved something big. Colfax — a community of roughly 2,200 people along the I-80 corridor between Sacramento and Truckee — has a historic main street that the HCDA has spent years working to bring back to life. The concert series is the most visible expression of that mission. The series grew directly out of HCDA's campaign for the national Levitt AMP Grant, a highly competitive program that funds free outdoor concerts in small and mid-sized cities. Colfax reached the top-50 finalists nationwide — a remarkable result for a city its size. When the grant did not come through, the community rallied. Local businesses, residents and regional supporters funded the series through donations and sponsorships because they believed in what it could mean for the town. The result is five free Saturday concerts from May through September, drawing an estimated 400 to 500 people per show to a fully-closed Historic Main Street — turning a downtown block into a neighborhood gathering place for the entire I-80 corridor. The second concert in the series takes place Saturday, June 20 with doors opening at 5 p.m.. Headlining is Love Mischief, a funk and psychedelic rock duo of Berklee School of Music-trained brothers currently on a multi-state tour. The band brings a high-energy, improvisational sound that is drawing audiences across California. Opening the night is Las Ninas Muertas, a five-piece all-women acoustic Grateful Dead tribute from the California foothills. The band delivers four-part harmony alongside banjo, mandolin, and upright bass — a sound that has built a devoted following throughout the region. The act was brought to the series by Colfax City Councilman Larry Hillberg. Admission is free. The event is all ages and leashed dogs are welcome. A licensed beer and wine garden will be on site along with food trucks and local vendors. Handicap parking is available at the US Bank lot on South Main Street. For more information on the 2026 Live in Colfax Summer Concert Series, visit liveincolfax.com.