Nissi's

1455 Coal Creek Dr Unit T, Lafayette, CO 80026

Nissi’s is an award-winning music venue and event center that’s been part of the Lafayette Music Fest family since the festival was created in 2022– a real LMF OG, if you will. Besides being one of our gracious hosts for three years in a row, Nissi’s is the largest of the participating venues, with plenty of tables to sit and take a load off if your feet need a break. And if you’re anything like me, the chance to recharge is key to not just surviving, but actually enjoying a long festival day. But depending on how many cocktails I’ve had, you could potentially find me breaking it down (Picture Tina Belcher awkwardly twerking) on Nissi’s massive dance floor instead. Given that I’m a sucker for a themed specialty drink, and Nissi’s has a whole menu of music-themed cocktails, it’s certainly not impossible. Now the question is, do I order a drink based on the name, or what’s actually in it?

Nissi’s was born to fill a gap–literally and culturally. As a veteran of the entertainment and hospitality industries, Nissi’s owner Marc Gitlin didn’t want the beautifully curated space that now houses Nissi’s to keep sitting empty, as it previously had for nearly two decades. So in 2009, he opened Nissi’s. Since then, the lively venue has been home to hundreds of concerts from both beloved local and touring artists. “We’ve had some terrific shows with our great local bands,” says Gitlin, who adds that one of his all-time favorite performances at Nissi’s was Greeley-based band The Burroughs’s set during the very first Lafayette Music Fest in 2022.

Gitlin is a former New Yorker who once managed New York City’s famous Caroline’s Comedy Club before moving to Colorado in 1995. But Lafayette is a far cry from the crowded chaos of NYC, and Gitlin still remembers the days when opening a sizable music venue in Eastern Boulder County would’ve been unthinkable. “What’s great to see is how things have evolved. You couldn’t consider a venue of this size fifteen years ago. My previous location was about a third of the size, and that was plenty for Eastern Boulder County,” he explains. “In fact, the building that Nissi’s is in presently did open in the ‘90s, and it was a country western bar that failed miserably. We just didn’t have the expansion out of Boulder County yet, so they couldn’t support it even though it was a very nice space that they built. It sat empty for almost twenty years before I took it over, and I think the area that grew up around it made it feasible.” Thanks to the area’s rapid development in recent years, Lafayette has become its own hub for independent music, and music venues like Nissi’s have thrived.

On the day of Lafayette Music Fest, Nissi’s will open around 5:30 p.m., so I plan on getting there early to stake out a table before Gasoline Lollipops kick things off at 6:30. The last (and only) time I saw GasPops, they were on stage dressed as zombies while live-scoring a ballet, so I’m personally looking forward to seeing what a more typical show of theirs is like. Hangry festival-goers would really kill the vibe, so thankfully Nissi’s will be serving their full food menu throughout the night too. I’d definitely recommend refueling before Wash Park Band, fondly known as “Colorado’s powerhouse party band,” starts playing at 8:30. “This year, we wanted to do something slightly different and have a fun, high-energy dance band that I have here on a somewhat regular basis, and that’s Wash Park Band,” Gitlin says. “We wanted, after everyone has seen a lot of concerts, for everyone to come here and just dance and have fun.” Get ready to boogie to dance hits from the ‘70s through today from this groovy twelve-piece band. Then at 10:15, Lafayette-born (and Lafayette Music Fest 2022 alumni!) alt-rock group Card Catalog will close out the night with their raw, genre-bending power jams. Head-banging is optional, but encouraged.

With its ultra-modern and spacious design, Nissi’s draws folks from Colorado’s big cities and small towns alike. Hosting events like Lafayette Music Fest doesn’t just make Nissi’s a staple for Northern Colorado music fans, it also gets Colorado’s city-dwellers (myself included) out of their usual stomping grounds. “Not only do I have to attract guests from Boulder County, but I get a lot of people from all over Colorado,” Gitlin emphasizes. “A lot from Denver, from the Northern suburbs like Loveland, Windsor, Longmont, and of course Broomfield, Arvada and Westminster. And I need both–I couldn’t just survive on the local crowd. What the festival does is key, because it brings in people from all over.” Grab your friends from every corner of Colorado and meet us there! Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll save you a seat…

The third annual Lafayette Music Fest is Saturday, October 5. Performances at Nissi’s start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $43 and will be exchanged for wristbands upon arrival. While Lafayette Music Fest is open to all ages, Nissi’s is strictly a 21+ venue. For more information and the full Lafayette Music Fest lineup, visit lafayettemusicfest.com.