September Splendor In The Rockies

Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado August 02, 2012

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, Crested Butte Film Festival, running and biking events, art walks, farmers? markets, and stargazing at the Gunnison Valley Observatory. For more information about each event, visit http://www.SeptemberSplendor.com or call (877) 351-8724. Ideas for great fall drives are posted on http://www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/fall-drives.

September Splendor in the Rockies Events

LABOR DAY WEEKEND, September 1 ? 3

28 ? Sept. 11 - Sean Cross Exhibit, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

31 ? Sept. 3 - Crested Butte Sidewalk Sales, Downtown Crested Butte & Mt. Crested Butte

31 & Sept. 1 - Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

1 - Gunnison Farmers? Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

1 ? 2 - The People?s Fair (Arts, Crafts & More), Elk Avenue, Crested Butte

1 ? 3 - Gunnison Sidewalk Sales, Downtown Gunnison

2 - Crested Butte Farmers? Market, Elk Avenue & Second Street

2 - West Elk Bicycle Classic (100- & 130-mile gran fondo options), Gunnison to Crested Butte via West Elk Loop Scenic & Historic Byway

2 - ?heART + LAND? Creating Transformative Artworks in the Landscape Workshop with Ivy Walker, Art Studio of the Center for the Arts, Crested Butte

2 - Crested Butte Mountain Runners Trail/Fun Run ? Reno, Flag, Bear & Deadman Gulch or Reno Divide

WEEK 1, September 4 - 9

4 - Tour de Forks Presents ?Creative & Sustainable Living,? a Gourmet Dining Event Benefitting Crested Butte Center for the Arts, Private Home

6 - Growler Trail Run Series, Signal Peak, Gunnison

6 - Summer Speaker Series, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

7 - First Friday Gallery Crawl & Music, Various Galleries & Locations, Gunnison

7, 8 - Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

7 ? 8 - Superfly Fishing Tournament by Gunnison Trout Unlimited, Gunnison Area

8 - Fall Festival of Beers & Chili Cook-Off, Mt. Crested Butte

8 ? 9 - 36th Annual Pearl Pass Mountain Bike Tour, Crested Butte to Aspen

9 - Gunnison Home Tour Benefitting the Gunnison Arts Center

9 - Tour de Forks Presents ?Exclusive Entry,? a Gourmet Dining Event Benefitting Crested Butte Center for the Arts, Soupcon

9 ? 10 - Wooden Nickel Fall Golf Classic, Club at Crested Butte

WEEK 2, September 10 ? 16

9 ? 10 - Wooden Nickel Fall Golf Classic, Club at Crested Butte

13 - Historic Pub Crawl Presented by Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

13 - Growler Mountain Bike Series, Hartman Rocks Multi-Use Recreation Area, Gunnison

13 ? 16 - "The Dixie Swim Club? Presented by Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret

14, 15 - Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

15 - Gunnison Farmers? Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

15 - Alpine Odyssey 100 Bike Race (Leadville 100 Qualifier for 2013), Crested Butte area

16 - Crested Butte Farmers? Market, Elk Avenue & Second Street

WEEK 3, September 17 ? 23

16 ? 22 - Vinotok Fall Harvest Festival, Crested Butte

19 - Matchstick Productions Presents Latest Ski Movie, Crested Butte Center for the Arts

20 - Summer Speaker Series Finale, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

20 ? 22 - ?The Dixie Swim Club? Presented by Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret

22 - Gunnison Farmers? Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

22 - Crested Butte Mountain Runners Trail/Fun Run ? Camp 4 Coffee Cart to Cart

23 - Crested Butte Farmers? Market, Elk Avenue & Second Street

WEEK 4, September 24 ? 30

27 - What Glitters is Gold: Fall Photography Workshop with Raynor Czerwinski, Art Studio of the Center for the Arts, Crested Butte

27 - ArtWalk Evening, Studios & Galleries in Downtown Crested Butte

27 - Crested Butte Mountain Runners Trail/Fun Run ? Woods Walk, Crested Butte

27 ? 30 - Crested Butte Film Festival, Crested Butte

29 - Big Saturday - Pummeler?s Butt Trail Run & Growler Series Mountain Bike Finals, Hartman Rocks Multi-Use Recreation Area, Gunnison

29 - Gunnison Farmers? Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

30 - Crested Butte Farmers? Market, Elk Avenue & Second Street

Fall Vacation Deals Located at the confluence of the beautiful East and Taylor Rivers where the Gunnison River forms in Almont, Almont Resort and onsite outfitter Almont Anglers are teaming up to offer Fall Fishing & Cabin Stay packages. Two nights in a basic cabin and a half-day walk/wade fishing trip on the East or Gunnison Rivers costs $ 231 per person (full-day option is $ 262 per person).

If you prefer to float while you fish, the cost is $ 251 per person for half-day and $ 280 for a full day. This offer is based on two people and includes tax but does not include guide gratuity. Available now through Sept. 30, 2012. Call (970) 641-4009 and visit http://www.almontresort.com.

In Crested Butte, enjoy being within steps of the historic business district and Save 10% This Fall when staying three nights or more at Cristiana Guesthaus from Sept. 3 through Oct. 6, 2012. The offer includes an upgraded European-style continental breakfast. This deal is based on space availability and does not include tax. Visit http://www.CristianaGuesthaus.com or call (970) 349-5326.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages

To find out more about other area events or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association?s toll-free line, (800) 814-8893, or visit http://www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/packages. Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on http://www.twitter.com/gcbta.

Air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines year-round and American Airlines in the winter.

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. 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 Colorado University, 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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