Namana’s ongoing support for one of the United States’ premier handpan events, held high in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
Namana & Steel Mountain
We first came to Steel Mountain in 2019. What stays with us most is the light: how sunny it is up in the mountains, a kind of brightness that feels different from anywhere else. Deer wandered in and grazed calmly on the meadows around the grounds, completely unbothered by the music and the crowd.
Everyone met for the first time in a cozy lodge with a fireplace, and that warmth carried through the whole weekend: real hugs, genuinely delicious food, and concerts that stayed with us long after. One detail we still remember fondly is the maker lineup, a format where every participant could meet the instrument builders face to face and ask them anything. Not a market, not a transaction, just makers and players talking directly to each other.
Namana has supported Steel Mountain’s raffle since that first visit in 2019, returning in 2021, 2022, 2023, and now again in 2026.
About Steel Mountain 2026
Dates: 20 to 24 August 2026 (five days, four nights) Location: Buckhorn Camp and Retreat Center, Bellvue, Colorado, in the foothills above Fort Collins Organizer: Colorado Handpan Productions LLC
For many years, Steel Mountain took place in Estes Park, right at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. The gathering now runs at a new, equally scenic mountain location in Bellvue, at 7,800 feet in the Front Range foothills. Rocky Mountain National Park is still an easy side trip from the grounds, worth the drive over for a day among its peaks and lakes.
The event centers around a shared lodge where everyone gathers, with all meals included, workshops throughout the day, and a full concert lineup, including the Saturday night headliner show, “Sounds of Steel.” The schedule is flexible enough to plan your own days between workshops, jams, hikes, and rest.
Tickets include lodging and meals, with a few accommodation styles to choose from: shared rooms with real beds, rustic cabin bunks, or dry camping for those bringing their own tent or camper. Day passes are also available for anyone who only wants to join for part of the event.
Follow the festival on Instagram or visit steelmountainhandpangathering.com for the full schedule, lineup, and ticket details.
Namana's Contribution in 2026
Namana has supported Steel Mountain’s raffle since 2019, and this year we’re sending a case out to the Rockies again:
The ST-H01+TOPsyn handpan backpack in black, with an orthopedic back panel for comfortable carrying and a special “I Love Handpans” embroidery. Lightweight, durable, and built for musicians who are always on the move: worth about $300.
It’s already on its way to the mountains, waiting to find its new owner.
Festival Archive
24 to 28 August 2023, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park. That year’s “Sounds of Steel” headliner concert brought together international artist Quentin Kayser and local favorites More Than Physics, the Fort Collins duo who keep coming back to Steel Mountain year after year. We were there ourselves that week, back in the mountains with the whole community. Namana sent a grey handpan backpack with black trim into the raffle, and it found its way to a very fitting winner: Clint Willcox of More Than Physics himself (see photos).
25 to 29 August 2022, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park. Another five days of workshops, jams, and campfires under the Colorado sky. Namana donated two cases to that year’s raffle, a soft grey backpack and a deep blue shoulder bag, and two lucky handpan players got to unwrap their own Namana piece that week.
Late August 2021, Estes Park. Namana sent another pair into the raffle that year, a red backpack and a black shoulder bag, and two more handpan players went home from the mountains with a Namana case of their own.
19 to 23 September 2019, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park. Our first Steel Mountain, and the beginning of a partnership we’ve kept ever since. We sent a full protection set into the raffle that year, a soft case with custom grey inserts, another soft case, and a two-piece hardshell. We were there ourselves, deep in the Rockies, meeting makers face to face for the first time, and two lucky raffle winners got to take a piece of Namana home with them that week (see photos).
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