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Mega-Music Festival In Denver Will Be Called 'Grandoozy'

By Shawn Chitnis

DENVER (CBS4) - A massive music festival that will take place at a Denver golf course later this year now has a name: "Grandoozy" organizers say it is a fitting choice for Colorado.

"We wanted a name that was unique," said Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of Superfly. "We wanted a name that captured the spirit of the event, which is about having fun."

grandoozy
(credit: CBS)

Grandoozy will take place on Sept. 14-16 at Overland Golf Course on the west side of Denver.

The group Superfly made the big announcement on Thursday morning. They say the name is unique to Colorado. They explained the word doozy means "something extraordinary" so they added "grand" to make it worthy of the city and state hosting the event.

Jonathan Mayers of Superfly
(credit: CBS)

"I also think around the region, people are going to come in and say, you know, this is a must see type of event," said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of Visit Denver.

Last year the Denver City Council approved a plan to hold the festival. That was after many residents brought forward concerns about noise and traffic from the festival. Mayers said Thursday that Superfly and the city are continuing to work to address those concerns.

"At first it was like, "What?" What are we going to do about the noise, and all the traffic," said Pat Sorensen, a resident of Overland Park since 1989. "I did sign a petition not to have it."

Overland Park Golf Course
Overland Park Golf Course (credit: CBS)

Sorenesen says she has since accepted the fact that the festival is happening and will closely watch preparations for the event over the next six months. Other residents say they think Grandoozy will become a positive addition to the neighborhood.

"I've been pleased with the process so far, they've really sought out community input, said Rob Lovell, a member of the Overland Park Neighborhood Association. "My sense is that they are working hard to mitigate all of those valid concerns."

Superfly is the concert promoter responsible for the successful large-scale festivals Bonnaroo in Tennessee and Outside Lands at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The city's contract with the promoter is for five years and Denver stands to make approximately $2 million from ticket sales. More money is expected to come into city coffers from tourists who attend the event.

outside lands music festival
(credit: CBS)

"It's working with all of the different agencies, it's working with our neighbors to address any issues that come up, but being really good partners and neighbors," Mayers said. "We want to be welcome within the community. We want this to happen every year."

A portion of the money Denver raises will go to a nonprofit set up to help with projects like building sidewalks or improving the South Platte River in the neighborhoods around Overland Park and nearby Ruby Hill. Organizers believe Grandoozy may have an attendance of around 40,000 people per day in the first year, in the future attendance could double. Visit Denver plans to promote the event to people outside of Colorado in the months ahead.

Overland Park Golf Course
Overland Park Golf Course (credit: CBS)

"It's in the best interest of Superfly to put on a fantastic event if they want to keep this going for years to come," said Scharf. "The proof is going to be in the pudding, we have the type of caliber of event producer that will do a good job."

In addition to music, the festival will also feature art and food offerings. The initial lineup for Grandoozy will be revealed on March 20. Tickets will go on sale a few days later.

grandoozy 2
(credit: CBS)

"I'm not too happy about it but a lot of people in the neighborhood are very excited about it, said Sorensen. "We'll just see what happens and if it gets too loud or nosy we can go to one of the kid's house."

LINK: Grandoozy

Shawn Chitnis reports for CBS4 News at 10 on weekends and CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the week. Email him story ideas at smchitnis@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.

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