20th Annual Monterey Music Festival

Some big names in country music are coming to Monterey. All for the 20th annual Monterey Cowboy Festival.

Being around for so many years, the event has a rich history in Monterey… previously being called “The Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival.”

Ben Branford is the Co-Director for the event, he says, “it was a music festival that was started by Gary Brown, who was actually a former Police Chief of Monterey. Uhm, and he really started it to kind of promote and preserve the ideals of kind of the cowboy way, the western way.”

Branford took over the event last year along with his buddy Erik. Being a musician himself, Ben says this is a way for Monterey to get back in touch with its western roots… including some big names like Jon Pardi and Midland.

Branford says, “We are really hoping for with this festival, is that if younger people come to see artist that they want to come see, that they will wander off and find an artist that is much more in the cowboy traditional western genre, and learn to love it.”

The festival has always been non-profit. And with Ben’s musical background, he wants to inspire others. “We’re actually changing our charitable angle to youth musical scholarship fund. Uhm, it’s something that my Co-Director, Erik and I are super passionate about.” The event will also have local breweries, food, and artist.