In this KGNU interview, Scotty Stoughton, founder of Small Town for the Cause, shared details about the new festival happening September 19–20 in downtown Salida. He explained that the event is an evolution of Camp Out for the Cause, blending live music, yoga, late-night sets, and family-friendly activities. The festival will feature local and national acts, including Elephant Revival, Clay Street Unit, and Lindsay Lou, while also partnering with the Coltrane Music Academy to provide kids with hands-on music workshops. With camping options, community engagement, and a strong emphasis on giving back, Stoughton described the event as both intimate and purpose-driven, celebrating music, family, and local culture. (Interview: 8/27/25)
Indra Raj: That was Elephant Revival, Sing to the Mountain. And right now I am bringing on Scotty Stoughton, who’s the founder of Small Town for the Cause, a festival happening in Salida September 19th and 20th, featuring Elephant Revival. Welcome to the show, Scotty. Thanks for having me. How are you doing?
Scotty (Small Town for the Cause): I’m doing really well. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.
Indra Raj: I am so excited to hear more about this wonderful event because it’s new to me. I’d love to know how it came together, how long you’ve been doing it, and what people can expect.
Scotty: Small Town for the Cause is a brand new event—kind of. I can get into that. It’s happening this September 19th and 20th in downtown Salida, right on the river at a beautiful riverside park. It’s an intimate show—about 2,000 people max—surrounded by hiking, biking, cool old brick architecture, and local businesses. You can still tube and fish on the river, so the venue’s beautiful. Being part of this amazing little town has been really fun as we’ve developed the event.
Small Town is actually the evolution of an event we used to do called Camp Out for the Cause. Bonfire Entertainment hosted it for about 15 years, and then we stopped during the pandemic for a lot of reasons. We decided to bring it back by popular demand. We had a location at a local farm in Salida, but permits with the easement took too long this year. Instead of postponing until 2026, we said, “Let’s look at Salida,” and the town welcomed us with open arms.
The festival features yoga and music—two stages, a main stage, and lots of morning yoga with live music, plus some electronic music. The side stage hosts late-night shows around town in tiny venues. It’s a huge family event with a big kids’ zone. The Coltrane Music Academy will be on site, teaching kids about instruments, offering lessons, and running songwriting and singing workshops. It’s truly a family affair.
Indra Raj: And I know there’s an emphasis on supporting the local community, whether it be artists, vendors, or changemakers. What kind of local musicians do you have planned for the event?
Scotty: We’re working with the Coltrane Music Academy, based in Chaffee County. They employ professional teachers from various bands—like Silas Herman and Tone Unit, Leadville Cherokee, and Under the Mountain String Band. They’ll support the kids’ program and also pop up throughout the weekend with their own sets. That’s really important for us: to bring in the vibrancy of Salida’s art community and create a strong local feel.
Indra Raj: Absolutely. For folks who want to attend, you mentioned camping. How does that work?
Scotty: We have limited camping. The town gave us a spot about a mile from the venue—a 10-minute bike ride through Salida. There are also RV parks, campgrounds, and plenty of off-the-grid camping nearby, plus motels and hotels. If you do want to camp with us, we kick it off Thursday night with an acoustic pick at the campsite. Camping is pretty limited, and most of it is sold out, but there are still a few spots left since it’s such a small event.
Indra Raj: And the website is campoutforthecause.org. Let’s talk about the music lineup. Some of these headliners! I just played Elephant Revival, who are great friends of KGNU and the Front Range in general. We’ve also got Clay Street Unit and a bunch of others. It sounds like a lot of local musicians stepped up to be part of this.
Scotty: For sure. A lot of them have played Camp Out in the past. Elephant Revival certainly has, as well as Lindsay Lou. When this event came together to support Hutchinson Ranch and our nonprofits, these are the kinds of bands that stepped forward. We love working with them, not only for their music and art but for how they show up for the community. They stick around for the weekend, sit in with each other, and hang out in the park. Every one of these bands is intentional about giving back and supporting nonprofits.
There are also a lot of new bands on the lineup, which makes it really eclectic. The ones I didn’t know before, I’ve gotten to know over the last six to eight months. There’s just a wonderful spirit and vibe with this group of players.
Indra Raj: Wonderful. That’s Small Town for the Cause, happening September 19th and 20th in downtown Salida. More information is at campoutforthecause.org. Scotty, thank you so much for joining me here on KGNU this morning.
Scotty: Thank you. I appreciate you having me on. Have a great day.
Indra Raj: You too.
