For Bands in the Backyard, 2020 was supposed to be a big year.

Tommy Giodone looked forward to bringing back the Pueblo music festival he started in 2013. He didn’t host the event in 2018 and 2019 due to personal health issues.

After the pandemic delayed the fest’s comeback last year, the two-day Bands in the Backyard returns this weekend to the rodeo grounds behind Giodone’s restaurant at 23344 U.S. 50.

It’s the “backyard” venue — held on 55 acres of property that’s been in Giodone’s family since 1939 — that sets this fest apart, he says .

“That’s part of why I started this,” he said. “We own some land that I thought would be good for a music festival.”

Early on, Giodone had some good lineup luck. He booked Florida Georgia Line on the cusp of the country band’s rise to fame.

“That was when no one knew who Florida Georgia Line was,” he said. “That kind of set the tone for the last four of five years.”

Bands in the Backyard went on to to feature such artists as Kid Rock, Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Old Dominion, Jake Owen and Billy Currington.

Following a three-year hiatus and during a tumultuous time for the live music industry, bouncing back with that level of entertainment hasn’t been seamless.

“It’s almost like starting it all over again,” Giodone said.

He decided to get creative and book more of a variety of acts than usual, mixing current country chart-toppers and old-school rappers.

The fest kicks off Friday with singers like Carly Pearce, whose hits like “Next Girl” and “I Hope You’re Happy Now” recently earned her an induction into the coveted Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Brothers Osborne, a country duo known for songs like “Stay a Little Longer,” will headline the night.

On Saturday, the lineup includes rappers Blanco Brown, Fetty Wap and headliner Flo Rida, known for songs including “Low” and “Right Round.”

In the past, 10,000 to 18,000 people have attended the two-day festival . Giodone says the location and intimate feel of the fest brings people from all over the state to what he calls “The Yard” or an “average backyard on steroids.”

For the fest, his family’s rural property will turn into an “enormous entertainment site,” including a main stage, vendor village, more than 10 bars, an on-site dispensary and private air-conditioned suites for VIP festgoers. This year, the fest offers private “party porches” for groups of 10 people. There’s also the option to pre-order beer online to skip lines.

“It’s like people are going to somebody’s backyard out in the country and seeing the cream of the crop of music,” he said. “You feel like you’re a big house party.”

And for that house party, he wants the best party tunes.

“That’s kind of how I put the lineup together in my mind,” he said. “When you have a playlist for a backyard party, you don’t just listen to country or Metallica. You want a mix of different genres.”

He hopes it turns into a memorable weekend. And that Bands in the Backyard continues to be a tradition for Pueblo.

“I’ve always believed in my community,” he said. “My whole life I’ve heard people say there’s’ nothing to do in this town. Well, here you go. This is about creating memories for people.”