Events for the whole family and great vacation packages
The holiday season in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado is all about embracing family and friends and kicking back for a little high country fun. The magic happens all on its own in this part of the Colorado Rockies, where life is still pure, simple and authentic – and where you can find some of the world’s best skiing and winter terrain.
The season for winter sports kicks off just in time for Thanksgiving celebrations, with Crested Butte Nordic Center opening Nov. 22 and Crested Butte Mountain Resort ski area opening Nov. 26. Events throughout the season in Gunnison and Crested Butte include the “Dessert at the Yurt” full moon dinner, the annual “Christmas Belles” production, a Torchlight Parade on the Slopes, a Frozen Buns 5K Resolution Run, a New Year’s Eve Celebration- and lots more!
Great deals on lodging + holiday vacation packages
Give your family the gift of the Grandest Christmas Ever package starting from just $999 for a family of up to four. The package is available from Dec. 18 – 27, 2008, and includes four nights lodging at the Grand Lodge and three days of lift tickets for two adults and two children (ages 17 and under).
This special deal also is available at the West Elk Condominiums starting at $1,108, Elevation Hotel & Spa beginning at $1,194 and The Lodge at Mountaineer Square starting at $1,380. The price is subject to availability and is prior to tax, travel protection and resort fee and is available through www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/grandest-christmas.
Events and happenings this holiday season in Gunnison-Crested Butte
34th Annual Sugar Plum Festival. The yuletide season begins in Gunnison with the 34th Annual Sugar Plum Festival on Nov. 22, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center. Handmade gifts such as wreaths made out of sagebrush, Christmas tree decorations, quilted tree skirts and table runners, stained glass, pottery, jewelry and canned goods. Approximately 75 booths make the Sugar Plum Festival a sweet shopping experience.
Night of Lights in Downtown Gunnison. Gunnison will formally usher in the Christmas season with Night of Lights held downtown on Friday, Dec. 5, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Expect many bright moments with competitions for best lighted displays, bonfires for roasting marshmallows and warming up along the way, booths for hot cocoa and other free treats, and local entertainment groups on hand at various downtown venues. Santa will arrive at 6:30 p.m., escort the crowd to the community tree lighting and greet children at the Elk’s Lodge.
Christmas Belles holiday production. Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, the longest continuously running community theatre in Colorado with 36 years on the stage, continues its tradition of presenting great holiday productions with “Christmas Belles” on Dec. 17 – 20, 22 – 23 and 26 – 28. The play is about a quaint small town in Texas where everything goes wrong with the Christmas pageant. The shows start at 8 p.m. and will be held at the Mallardi Cabaret located in the old Town Hall building at Elk Avenue and Second Street. For information and tickets, visit www.cbmountaintheatre.org.
“Dessert at the Yurt” Ski and Snowshoe Tour. There is nothing quite like Crested Butte’s moonshine-filled skies to stir up holiday goodwill. Join the Crested Butte Nordic Center on its Full Moon “Dessert at the Yurt” Ski and Snowshoe Tour on Dec. 12. The tour features a moonlit guided tour to Magic Meadows and warm drinks and dessert in a yurt along the way. The tour begins at 7 p.m. and costs $25 for adults and $20 for children. Equipment rentals are available for $15.
Rock & Roll and Ice Carving. What happens when rock n’ roll and ice carving collide? Check it out on Dec. 19 – 20, when Rock on Ice returns to the Mt. Crested Butte Town Center, located at the ski base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The Rock on Ice team is comprised of world champion ice carvers who thrill audiences by creating beautiful ice sculptures in only minutes with rock n’ roll music as the backdrop. This weekend event will feature holiday-themed ice carving demonstrations during the day from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and end with a fast-paced, high-energy ice carving show on Saturday night from 7 – 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.skicb.com.
Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade. Enjoy the magic of a Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade on Dec. 24 and greet 2009 in style at the New Year’s Eve Celebration, Torchlight Parade and Fireworks on the slopes of Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Also part of the New Year’s Eve fun at CBMR will be the Profurious Park ‘N Pipe Series with several competitive divisions for men, women, skiers and snowboarders.
Frozen Buns 5K Resolution Run. The second annual Frozen Buns 5K Resolution Run on Dec. 31 is organized by the Gunnison Valley Health Foundation to kick off New Year’s on the right foot. The fun run starts at 5 p.m. at the Four-Way Stop/Visitor Center and makes it way toward Peanut Lake, with tiki torches, glow sticks, flashlights and alpenglow lighting the way. The resolution part of the run comes when each participant carries their personal resolution for the new year on a piece of paper to the half way point and places it into a small cauldron of fire, where hot chocolate, cider and cookies also await. Kids can take part, too, with the “Are We There Yet?” one-mile run, which also begins at 5 p.m.
For more information about visiting Gunnison-Crested Butte this holiday season, go to: www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.