Held across a series of outdoor stages and indoor venues along South Broadway, the Underground Music Showcase (July 25 to 27) has always been inherently more accessible for attendees than many of the state’s remote mountain festivals. Denverites can groove to the sounds of more than 200 mostly up-and-coming local or regional acts (Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa both played UMS before making it big) then go home and sleep in their own beds.

Passes for the whole weekend start at $80. Can’t afford that? Volunteer for one five-to-six-hour shift working a box office or a bar to earn a wristband for free. “The highest price you can pay for UMS for three days and more than 200 shows is $180 for VIP. That’s one Red Rocks ticket,” says Jami Duffy, the executive director of local nonprofit Youth on Record, which became a co-owner of UMS in 2022.

But money is only one of the barriers Duffy—who now manages the festival alongside Casey Berry, the founder of Denver entertainment company and UMS co-owner Two Parts—is dismantling. Sober herself for nearly a decade, Duffy wants to normalize that choice, in part by adding sober bars and spaces. She’s creating more ways for young people to get involved, work shifts, and learn about the music industry. And in 2023, UMS launched an accessibility plan to ensure people of all abilities could experience the festival; UMS has since implemented improvements like special viewing areas and signage to help with navigation.

“I really just saw this as an opportunity of saying, This is the coolest music festival in Colorado, and it also can be really mission-focused without losing its awesome indie edge,” Duffy says. That mission extends beyond festgoers to include—and even prioritize—the well-being of the musicians, whom Duffy describes as her “first clients.” Over the past three years, more than 300 of them have attended an annual two-day summit Duffy helped develop that’s free for UMS artists; workshop and panel topics include networking, how to get radio airplay, and mental health care. Musicians also have access to a substance-free, snack-stocked artist care lounge during the festival and get paid a minimum of $200 for solo acts and $400 for bands (who are often asked to play fests for free).

“With your ticket, you know, Wow, I’m paying for thriving artist wages. I’m paying for an artist conference. I am supporting an accessibility plan. I am ensuring that we have a really diverse lineup. I’m making sure artists get the care they need,” Duffy says. “You can feel really good about your ticket, because you are genuinely investing in the Colorado music ecosystem.” So far, the strategy seems to be working: Bucking industry trends, UMS ticket sales were up last year.

“I think festgoers are looking for a more boutique experience that feels like community,” Duffy says. “UMS is that perfect size and festival for what audiences want.”