Including Colorado's Oldest Rodeo - 110th Annual Cattlemen's Days!
GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (July 27, 2010) - With a longtime ranching heritage, laid-back attitude and Colorado's oldest rodeo, Gunnison County is the West. The only kind of traffic jams you encounter here are cattle drives. In fact, American Cowboy named Gunnison-Crested Butte one of the "20 Best Places to Live the West" in 2009.
To buy a hat or boots to get into the spirit of the place, head straight for The Western World in Gunnison before visiting the Pioneer Museum, known for its popular ranching heritage exhibit, 18 out-buildings and train display. There are also dude ranches, trail rides, and amazing Western events to dig your heels into.
Events
110th Annual Gunnison Cattlemen's Days, July 9 - 18
This granddaddy of Colorado rodeos features a county fair, parade, horse show, carnival, cowboy poetry, live music and dancing, horse races, draft horse pull, cowboy church, and rodeo events sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Activities are spread throughout the 10 days of the Cattlemen's Days festivities, with a kickoff dinner and dance getting things started on July 9.
PRCA rodeos are scheduled for the evenings of July 15, 16 and 17. Amateurs have the chance to compete at the Watershed Team Roping and Barrel Race for adults and youth on July 14. In addition, the Cattlemen's Days Open Horse Show on July 10 - 11 draws participants from the Gunnison Valley and beyond.
However, the true highlight of this 110-year-old festival is the fact that it recognizes the Western way of life in the Gunnison Valley. It also has become the top rodeo in the nation for raising money to fight breast cancer through a national promotion "Tough Enough to Wear Pink." There will be a fund-raising celebration and concert featuring Tim Nichols, Bob DePiero, Dean Dillon & Scotty Emerick in Mt. Crested Butte on July 13 and a pre-party and auction and a post-rodeo dance to raise funds in Gunnison on July 15.
For a complete schedule of events visit http://www.cattlemensdays.com/. Tickets go on sale July 5 at the Cattlemen's Days ticket booth located at Gunnison Bank and Trust parking lot. Tickets also can be purchased at the door, with general admission priced at $12, and reserved grandstand seats available for $15. On Family Night, kids 10 and under who are accompanied by an adult can attend for free (general admission) or $5 (grandstand seating).
Gunsmoke-n-Gunnison, June 19 - 20, July 24 - 25, Aug. 28 - 29
The Gunnison Valley Mounted Shooting Association will hold its seventh annual Gunsmoke-n-Gunnison competitions at the Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center on three weekends this summer. Cowboy mounted shooting is one of the fastest growing equestrian sports today, requiring a special form of teamwork between horse and rider and blending disciplines such as reining, barrel racing and horsemanship. Using two .45 caliber, single-action revolvers and specially prepared ammunition, the rider must accurately shoot 10 balloon targets set in any one of 75 different patterns while controlling the speed and direction of the horse.
Cash and prizes are awarded to winners of each division, and each rider will accumulate points that go toward possibly competing at the world championships. There is no cost to watch the competitions, which typically begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. For more information, call Dennis Posluszny at (970) 641-4787.
Gunnison Western Heritage Festival, Sept. 11 - 12
The Gunnison Western Heritage Festival is a celebration of Gunnison's Western American lifestyle. Many of the activities will take place outdoors at Jorgensen Park and the park's covered ice rink, except the Colorado High School Rodeo Association rodeo that will take place at the Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center on both days. There will be plenty to keep the posse entertained, such as live music, cowboy poetry and chuck wagon-style barbecue. More details will be available in the near future. Presented by the City of Gunnison, more information is available by calling (970) 901-6215.
Trail Rides & Adventures
Gunnison-based Tenderfoot Outfitters offers authentic trail rides of varying lengths, horse packing trips, high alpine fishing excursions, tent bed and breakfast trips, youth adventure camps and horseback hunts. To find out more about all the options, visit http://www.tenderfoot-outfitters.com/ or call (800) 641-0504.
Another option is to take the scenic drive up Highway 135 to Crested Butte and pay a visit to Lazy F Bar Ranch, located approximately 3 miles out Brush Creek Road just south of town. Breakfast and dinner horseback rides, wagon ride dinners, and general horseback riding for any skill level are available. Winter sleigh ride dinners to a rustic 1950s cabin overlooking the East River are popular during snowy months. Call (970) 641-0193 or visit http://www.lazyfbarranch.com/.
Also check out Fantasy Ranch Horseback Adventures, offering horseback outings and wilderness trail rides from its Mt. Crested Butte stable. Fantasy Ranch is well known for its trail ride from the Crested Butte area to Aspen. During winter, Fantasy Ranch offers horseback rides from its Almont stable. Contact (970) 349-5425 or visit http://www.fantasyranchoutfitters.com/.
Dude Ranches
For unforgettable guest ranch experiences, visit Waunita Hot Springs Ranch near Gunnison and Harmel's Ranch Resort near Almont. To reach Waunita Hot Springs Ranch, call (770) 641-1266 or visit http://www.waunita.com/. For Harmel's, call (800) 235-3402 or visit http://www.harmels.com/.
Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte's calendar of events or to book personalized vacation packages, visit http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/. During summer and fall, air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines.
About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado. Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels.
Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.
Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails.
In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.
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Photo: Gunnison Cattlemen's Days parade.
For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.
Contact: Beth Buehler
Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association
(970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net
Experience the West 2010.doc (876 KB)
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