Why Old Town needs a Country Bar
And why the people of Fort Collins deserve it
CSU students (those 21 and over) can walk into any bar in Old Town and let the stress of college fade away with good times and alcohol. Besides the liquid courage, most of the fun comes from the environment.
Fort Collins has a few “country” bars, and I put that in quotations because they aren’t what I would consider a true country bar. The most fitting would be Sundance, but going there requires driving the opposite direction from the rest of town. Old Town needs a bar that only plays country music with the occasional live band, karaoke night and lots of line-dancing and two-steppin’.
There are country music lovers everywhere. Even if they are in small numbers, they deserve a place to enjoy an environment that suits their personality. I believe the people of Fort Collins would benefit from a country bar in Old Town and here’s why:
Country is the #1 format on radio and Fort Collins residents can tune in today’s country hits on 99.1 FM, 97.9 FM, 100.7 FM and 106.3 FM. Having options when it comes to country radio means a lot of people want to listen. The music shouldn’t stop on the radio or at home.
The College of Agricultural Sciences at CSU offers programs in Agriculture and Resource Economics, Animal Sciences, Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and Soil and Crop Sciences. These majors lead me to believe that Fort Collins is the temporary home to many students that know what it is like to work hard and spin around on the dance floor in the same pair of boots.
CSU is also home to the #3 nationally ranked College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. I know that having a passion for veterinary medicine doesn’t mean you have to like country music, but there could be some correlation. For those that do, a stress-free night out in a country atmosphere would be the perfect place.
There is a ranching and farming community in Fort Collins as well. A few of the many farms and ranches are Craig Angus Ranch, Fossil Creek Farms and Laughing Buck Farm. This community harvests crops and raises animals for the benefit of others. These hard-working people would be able to let loose with their peers.
Fort Collins offers country radio, but not a lot of live country music. It will require a little driving, but there are nearby areas where people can go to have a good ol’ country time. Those events and venues include: Greeley Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Grizzly Rose in Denver, Ogden Theater in Denver, and The Boot Grill in Loveland. Instead of having to travel, people in Fort Collins would be able to enjoy similar events in their own town.
The best way to look the part is to shop at Boot Barn and Jax. These retailers have men and women’s Western boots and clothing as well as home and farm décor. The option to shop at these stores means this type of merchandise is desired by the people of Fort Collins. You will definitely be able to find the right outfit to wear to a country bar.
Fort Collins needs a country bar in Old Town where country music lovers can unite over whiskey and a “Friends in Low Places” sing-a-long. It is not about getting drunk, it is about having a place to go where people can converse, dance and enjoy each other’s company all with the common interest of the country way of life.
Not everyone loves country music as much as I do, but if they had the option of going to a country bar in Old Town, I’m sure they would soon love it too.
