Snowboard Reviews, Articles, News & More
GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO (Aug. 21, 2009) — Get into the spirit of autumn with Mt. Crested Butte’s annual Fall Festival of Beers & Chili Cook-Off held on Sept. 12 at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) ski area. New this year is the Beer & Chili Dash and Dine 10K Fun Run.
Heat up by sampling great chili prepared by area cook-off contestants from noon – 2 p.m., and then cool off with beers poured from noon – 4 p.m. by microbreweries such as Great Divide Brewing Company, CB & Potts, Steamworks Brewing Company, Deschutes Brewery, Sierra Nevada, Smugglers Brewpub & Grille, Bristol Brewing Company, Stone Brewing Company, Odell Brewing Co., The Eldo Brewery & Taproom, Crested Butte Brewing Co., Revolution Brewing, and San Luis Valley Brewing Co.
Help select “Crested Butte’s Favorites” in a range of beer categories: pale ale, amber/brown ale, dark ale/porter/stout, light lager, amber/dark lager, wheat beer, and specialty beer/strong beer/Belgians. There is no charge to enter the chili cook-off, which features four categories: anything goes, professionals only, vegetarian, and International Chili Society red (no beans or fillers). Cash prizes are awarded for the best chili.
Music by Mountain Standard Time (bluegrass) and Sol’ Jibe (world music) will be on tap all afternoon. Special guest with both bands is Drew Emmitt.
If you’re worried that dancing to the music won’t wear off enough beer and chili calories, enter the Beer & Chili Dash and Dine 10K Fun Run. Registration will be held at the ski base beginning at 10 a.m. followed by an 11 a.m. start. The race will take place on Mt. Crested Butte trails.
Admission to the festival costs $20 per person and includes five beers, beer samples, chili samples and music. Include the fun run, and the cost is $25. The cost of participating in the fun run only is $10.
CBMR’s Adventure Park will be open during the festivities with ice skating, rock climbing and bungee jumping at the ski base. Go to www.skicb.com for more information.
Transportation is provided to and from Crested Butte to the base area by free Mountain Express buses. There also will be a Safe Ride shuttle to provide transportation to and from Gunnison to Mt. Crested Butte and anywhere in between.
The Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte Visitor Centers and the Mt. Crested Butte Town Center Community Association are the proud sponsors of this event. For more information and to enter the chili cook-off, contact the Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce at (970) 349-6438. For a full schedule of September Splendor in the Rockies events, visit www.septembersplendor.com
Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To request visitor information or to book personalized vacation packages, visit 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.
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 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.
Gunnison, a real western town located 28 miles from Crested Butte, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.
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.
