Summer & Fall Festivals Galore in Gunnison County, Colorado

From wildflowers and bikes to rivers and cowboys, there's plenty to celebrate!

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (April 17, 2012) - Gunnison County knows how to roll out the carpet for summer and fall fun with an amazing array of one-of-a-kind festivals that reflect the lifestyle, natural beauty and Western friendliness of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. 

Gunnison Growler Weekend, Gunnison, May 26 - 28
Kicking off the summer season is Gunnison Growler Weekend, featuring three days of biking events, trail running races, a kids' fishing and outdoor sports derby, and outdoor sports expo for the whole family to celebrate Memorial Day weekend.  On Saturday and Sunday, Gunnison's IOOF Park and one block of Virginia Avenue between Main Street and Iowa Street, will be filled with food vendors, live music and a beer garden for racers and the public to enjoy.  This downtown area also will be the start and finishes for the Half-Growler (32 miles) and Full-Growler (64 miles) races and Growler Gran Fondo ride from Gunnison to Mt. Crested and back (64 miles).  The other centers of activities will be Hartman Rocks Multi-Use Recreation Area and Jorgensen Park.  The 25k and 50k Sage Burner trail running events start and finish and Hartman Rocks.  For more information, go to www.gunnisontrails.com, www.gunnisonmentors.com and www.sageburnertrailrun.com.

32nd Annual Crested Butte Bike Week, Crested Butte & Mt. Crested Butte, June 21 - 24
Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte are the proud hosts of the world's oldest mountain bike festival, previously known as Fat Tire Bike Week. Voted Best Festival in a Bike magazine reader poll, participants can take part in the Fat Tire 40 mountain bike race, tech expo, Mountain States Cup Wildflower Rush races, the infamous Chainless World Championships, Bridges of the Butte townie tour, guided rides and more.  For information, contact the Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce at (800) 814-8893 or visit www.ftbw.com. 

10th Annual Gunnison River Festival, Gunnison, June 22 - 23
For a unique blend of hardcore and lighthearted outdoor recreation for all ages, don't miss the 10th annual Gunnison River Festival.  Where else can you find a mix of freestyle kayaking, a costume river parade, downriver raft race, hooligan race, raft rodeo, stand-up paddle board, Strider Cup bike race and foam boats for kids?  Friday, June 22, will kick off the festival with river guide games, live music and registration.  On June 23, it's all about being on the Gunnison River.  Come and have "Fun on the Gunnison" with the Gunnison Whitewater Park serving as home base for the festival.  For information, visit www.gunnisonriverfestival.com or call (970) 275-3516.

16th Annual Crested Butte Music Festival, Gunnison Valley, July 4 - Aug. 12   
The 2012 festival will showcase outstanding performers from all over the world and internationally acclaimed performers such as Boston Brass, American String Quartet, jazz legend Junior Mance and opera stars Marcello Giordani and Samuel Ramey.  Celebrating its 16th year, CBMF also has bluegrass, opera and gypsy jazz mini-festivals that are part of the larger event. Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute," a free family concert series on Saturdays, five home soirée concerts and much more are on this dynamic event's six-week schedule.  For more information and tickets, call (970) 349-0619 or visit www.crestedbuttemusicfestival.com. 

112th Annual Cattlemen's Days, Gunnison, July 5 - 15
People who love the authenticity of The West should plan on attending the 112th annual Cattlemen's Days at the Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center and various venues around Gunnison.  The event features a county fair, parade, live music and dancing, a horse show, cowboy poetry, horse races, and of course rodeo events sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).  Activities are spread throughout the 11 days of Cattlemen's Days festivities, with rodeos scheduled for the evenings of July 12 - 14.  For more information, call the Gunnison County Chamber of Commerce at (800) 814-8893 or visit www.cattlemensdays.com. 

26th Annual Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Crested Butte, July 9 - 15  
The historic mountain town of Crested Butte, which was designated the "Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the state legislature in 1990, hosts this colorful festival during the peak of wildflower season.  Nearly 200 individual events such as photography and art classes, 4 X 4 tours, hikes and flower identification walks, garden tours, cooking seminars and more focus on the magnificent sight of miles and miles of wildflower fields abloom in the area.  For more information, call (970) 349-2571 or visit www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com.

40th Annual Crested Butte Arts Festival, Crested Butte, August 3 - 5  
Crested Butte Arts Festival (CBAF) is one of the biggest weekends of the summer, drawing world-class artists from all 50 states and several international exhibitors.  Open-air booths line the five-block center of Crested Butte's National Historic District, featuring 175 artists who are selected through a very competitive jury process.  New this year, the festival will be open Friday evening, Aug. 3, from 5 - 9 p.m., as well as on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  In addition to an Art Alley for kids, look for an artist demonstration tent, food court, beer and wine pavilion, live entertainment, art auction and culinary demonstrations.  Additional culinary programs will be announced in the near future.  Call (970) 349-1184 or visit www.crestedbutteartsfestival.com.

Car, Carving & Art Weekend, Gunnison, Aug. 16 - 19      
This dynamic weekend for all ages includes the 25th annual Gunnison Car Show, High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival, and Carvin' Up Colorado.  Most of the activities take place in the neighboring Jorgensen and Legion Parks, with a ‘50s-style cruise-in and free dance on Main Street on Friday evening and a breakfast cruise to Crested Butte on Sunday morning.  On Saturday, admire all the chrome during the open car show and browse the creations of 60 artisans from around the region at the High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival.  From Aug. 16 - 18, seven to 10 wood carvers from around the country will transform tree stumps into works of art that will be on permanent display in Legion Park and at other community sites. 

For information, call (970) 901-6215 (carving) and (800) 814-8893 (arts/crafts) and visit www.gunnisoncarclub.com.

Fall Festival of Beers & Chili Cook-Off, Mt. Crested Butte, September 8
Get into the spirit of autumn with Mt. Crested Butte's annual Fall Festival of Beers & Chili Cook-Off held on Sept. 8 at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) ski area.  Heat up by sampling great chili prepared by area cook-off contestants, cool off with beers poured by several microbreweries and savor live music all afternoon.  For admission costs and times, contact the Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce at (800) 814-8893 and visit www.cbchamber.com.  

Crested Butte Film Festival, Crested Butte, September 27 - 30
Get inspiration from features, shorts, documentaries and panel discussions and enjoy festival parties and the peak of aspen-viewing season.  Many of the films will be Colorado premieres, including a mix of international and U.S. productions, Academy Award nominees, selections from Cannes and Sundance, and newly discovered gems.  Crested Butte provides a perfect, intimate setting to engage with visiting filmmakers at unique historical venues, combined with some of the best mountain biking and hiking the state has to offer. Pass options make it easy and affordable to enjoy all four days of the festival and all events.  For information, visit www.cbfilmfest.org or call (303) 204-9080.

Visitor Information & Personalized 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.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta.  The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines and during the winter also by Continental Airlines and American 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. 

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.

[###]

Photo: Tour de Forks, courtesy of Crested Butte Center for the Arts

For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.

Contact:  

Beth Buehler    
Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association  
(970) 349-1168, (970) 901-6970 cell or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net    
www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com