“September Splendor in the Rockies” Showcases Colorful Gunnison-Crested Butte

A month of spectacular views, events & deals. 

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (September 1, 2011) - Colorado's largest aspen grove turning brilliant shades of color, Indian summer temperatures and a wide range of events and outdoor recreation combine to make "September Splendor in the Rockies" a month not to miss in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colo. September is an ideal time for people who love the sights, smells, sounds and feel of fall.

A few highlights include the Fall Festival of Beers & Chili Cook-off, Vinotok fall harvest festival, running and biking events, art walks, farmers' markets, stargazing at the Gunnison Valley Observatory, the new Crested Butte Film Festival and more.  For more information about each event, visit http://www.septembersplendor.com/ or call (877) 351-8724.  Ideas for great fall drives are posted on www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/fall-drives.

September Splendor in the Rockies Events

WEEK 1, September 1 - 4

Aug. 31-Sept 19  Laura Elm Ceramics Exhibition, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

Aug. 31, Sept. 1               Brews & Brushes (Paint, Beer, Coffee & Mingling), Gunnison Arts Center

1 - Oct. 1         Margaret Tange & Jennifer Rose Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

1                      Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Crank's Plaza by Town Hall

1                      Guided Heritage Walking Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

2                      First Friday Gallery Crawl & Music, Various Galleries & Locations, Gunnison

2, 3                   Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

2 - 5                 Labor Day Sidewalk Sales, Crested Butte & Mt. Crested Butte

3                      Gunnison Farmers' Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

3 - 4                 The People's Fair (Arts, Crafts & More), Elk Avenue, Crested Butte

3 - 5                 Labor Day Sidewalk Sales, Gunnison

4                      Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

4                      Trail 401 Fun Run, Crested Butte Mountain Runners

WEEK 2, September 5 - 11

Aug. 31-Sept 19  Laura Elm Ceramics Exhibition, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

1 - Oct. 1         Margaret Tange & Jennifer Rose Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

2 - 5                 Labor Day Sidewalk Sales, Crested Butte & Mt. Crested Butte

3 - 5                 Labor Day Sidewalk Sales, Gunnison

6, 8                   Guided Heritage Walking Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

8                      Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Crank's Plaza by Town Hall

8                      Summer Speaker Series, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, Crested Butte
8                      Bob Livingston Concert with Special Guest Butch Morgan, Benefiting Gunnison

Arts Center, Western State College Center Ballroom

9, 10                 Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

10                     Gunnison Farmers' Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

10                     Fall Festival of Beers & Chili Cook-Off, Crested Butte Mountain Resort

10 - 11             35^th Annual Pearl Pass Mountain Bike Tour, Crested Butte

10 - 11             Gunnison Cowboys High School Rodeo, Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center

11                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

11                     Camp 4 Coffee Cart to Cart Trail Run, Crested Butte Mountain Runners

11                     Gunnison Arts Center Home Tour, Featuring Six Home is the Gunnison Area

11                     A Historic Evening - Conclusion of Tour de Forks Gourmet Dining Series, Crested Butte

11 - 12             Wooden Nickel Fall Golf Classic, Club at Crested Butte

WEEK 3, September 12 - 18

Aug. 31-Sept 19  Laura Elm Ceramics Exhibition, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

1 - Oct. 1         Margaret Tange & Jennifer Rose Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

11 - 12             Wooden Nickel Fall Golf Classic, Club at Crested Butte

13, 15               Guided Heritage Walking Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

15                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Crank's Plaza by Town Hall

15 - 18             "Charlie Cox Runs With Scissors" Presented by CB Mtn. Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret

16                     Alpin Hong & John McEuen Concert, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

16, 17               Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

17                     Gunnison Farmers' Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

18                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

18                     Lead King Loop (25K Run), Marble to Crystal & Back

18 - 24             Vinotok Fall Harvest Festival, Crested Butte

WEEK 4, September 19 - 25

Aug. 31-Sept 19  Laura Elm Ceramics Exhibition, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

1 - Oct. 1         Margaret Tange & Jennifer Rose Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

18 - 24             Vinotok Fall Harvest Festival, Crested Butte

20 - Oct. 10      Neil Windsor Exhibition, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

20, 22               Guided Heritage Walking Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

22                     Summer Speaker Series, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, Crested Butte
22                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Crank's Plaza by Town Hall

22 - 25             "Charlie Cox Runs With Scissors" Presented by CB Mtn. Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret

23                     "The Attack of La Niña"- Matchstick Productions Ski Movie, CB Center for the Arts

23 & 24            "Senior Moments" (theatre production), Gunnison Arts Center

24                     Gunnison Farmers' Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

24                     Crested Butte Fall Colors Classic (1/2 marathon) Presented by Gunnison Valley

                        Health Foundation

25                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

WEEK 5, September 26 - Oct. 2

1 - Oct. 1         Margaret Tange & Jennifer Rose Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

20 - Oct. 10      Neil Windsor Exhibition, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

27, 29               Guided Heritage Walking Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

28                     Woods Walk Trail Fun Run, Crested Butte Mountain Runners

29                     ArtWalk Evening, Studios & Galleries in Crested Butte

29                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Crank's Plaza by Town Hall

29 - Oct. 2       Crested Butte Film Festival, Various Gunnison & Crested Butte Locations

30 - Oct. 1       Western State College Homecoming (Parade, Bonfire, Football & More), Gunnison

30 - Oct. 2       Fall Photography Workshop by Dusty Demerson & JC Leacock, Crested Butte area

Oct. 1               Gunnison Farmers' Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

Oct. 2               Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

Fall Vacation Deals

In September and October, purchase three nights of lodging and get one free through Peak Property Management & Sales in Crested Butte.  Call (888) 909-7325 for rates and property availability and visit http://www.peakcb.com/.

Save on lodging and rafting when staying two nights or more at Three Rivers Resort in Almont from Aug. 15 - Sept. 30.  For only $100 per person, receive two night's lodging in a lodge room or small, one-room cabin and one Upper Taylor whitewater raft trip each.  Price is based on two-person occupancy and does not include lodging taxes.  This offer is not valid with any other offers or existing reservations and can be booked by calling (888) 761-3474.  Other lodging options and custom packages can be arranged.  Visit http://www.3riversresort.com/.

Enjoy all of the benefits of Harmel's Ranch Resort near Almont, Colorado, and stay in one of the Hitchn' Post Lodge's eight motel-style rooms, each with one queen bed and one double bed from only $110 per night for up to four people per room.  This late-season Hitchn' Post Package is available Aug. 16 - Sept. 17.  The package includes a hearty breakfast buffet, private fishing permit, stocked rainbow trout pond, and numerous other amenities.  Horseback riding, guided fly-fishing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, ziplining and massages can be added for an extra cost.  Offer is based on availability and does not include tax/service fee.  Book by calling (800) 235-3402, and also visit http://www.harmels.com/.  

From now until Sept. 30, enjoy a two-night stay at Gunnison's Western Motel in a single queen room for only $130 or a double queen for $150.  Offer includes continental breakfast and is subject to tax & availability. Call (888) 641-1722 and reference the Tourism Association website deal. Visit www.westernmotel-co.com.

Visitor Information & Other Vacation Packages

To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte's calendar of events and personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free number (800) 814-8893 or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/packages.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta. 

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. 

Marble is located in the Upper Crystal River Valley along the Elk Mountains and is the gateway to nearby Crystal, home to one of the most photographed mill sites in the country. Marble has seven sites on the National Register of Historic Places and is the location of the Yule Marble Quarry.

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: Amazing fall colors on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte. 

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         

                                    http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/