In 1985, a group of Crested Butte businesspeople and the Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce decided it was time to organize a festival to help promote summer tourism in the region, known for its beautiful meadows of wildflowers, its individual sense of purpose and its colorful history.
The Crested Butte Wildflower Festival was established as a weekend event “dedicated to the conservation, preservation and appreciation of wildflowers through education and celebration” in accordance with its mission.
Among the many successes of the young festival was the official legislative designation in 1989 of Crested Butte as the “Wildflower Capital of Colorado.” The festival needed a boost of status and got it.
Ten years of growth later, the festival broke free from the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce and established itself as its own self-governing entity in 1999. By then the weekend event had expanded into a week of celebration of its botanical heritage and had enlisted expert workshop leaders from around town and around the country.
In step with tradition, this year’s festival – scheduled for July 11-17, at the peak of the wildflower season – includes programs to keep veterans returning and to introduce first-timers to all the region has to offer.
Mainstay programs of the festival include walks and hikes throughout the region’s network of trails; photography classes to capture the splendor and magnificence of the region; Jeep tours to access Crested Butte’s deepest and steepest backcountry meadows; and landscape design and gardening instruction on creating your own wildflower garden.
The festival also has family-friendly events such as horse-drawn wagon rides and a treasure hunt in which children learn how an ecologically friendly farm runs with solar and wind power – encouraging the naturalist in the youngest of participants.
“Important events are repeated daily,” notes Lee Renfrow, the festival’s executive director. “Each day has a hike into Rustler Gulch.”
Rustler Gulch, a verdant glacial valley on the south flank of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness north of Crested Butte, introduces newcomers to a local favorite whose beauty exemplifies the richness of the region. Rustler Gulch’s fertile slopes and meadows include more than 100 wildflower species.
Other favorite hikes of Renfrow’s include Daisy Pass, a steep but short ascent through some amazing wildflower displays; Frigid Air Pass, at over 12,000 feet; and an all-day journey to Aspen, which includes lunch, overnight lodging in Aspen and transportation back to Crested Butte.
Hikes are not the sole focus of the festival, though. Renfrow knows that new and unique programs keep the festival fresh and current as it gains popularity each year. Among the record 199 program events of the 2005 festival are diverse offerings such as a spiritual retreat to a private ranch whose history includes ceremonial circles from the Ute Indians; backwoods etiquette and emergency first aid to teach wilderness skills; and an ice cream party featuring Chocolate Rosemary and other wildflower-based flavors.
In addition to the fun, Western State College in Gunnison is teaming up with the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival this year to offer college credit in an all-day course on developing an illustrated field journal. Through sketching, observation, instruction and experience, students will learn how to engage their natural world more meaningfully through art and science.
The meadows, mountains and riverbeds of the Elk Mountains surrounding Crested Butte are the perfect setting for such an inquiry, and the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival celebrates it.
Matthew Lancaster is a Colorado nature photographer and writer. His website is remarkableearth.com.
The details
Crested Butte is approximately 230 miles southwest of Denver, 150 miles east of Grand Junction and 28 miles north of Gunnison. Registration for the events ranges from $9 to $550 for multi-day events. Call the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival at 970-349-2571 or visit its website, crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com, for information on the program of events, instructor biographies, online registration, cancellation policies, lodging options, and more.
