Mountain Almanac for the Week of May 24

Wednesday, May 24

Wellness Walk. Scheduled for May 24  at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center at 9 a.m. Meet at the upper level and choose a one, two or three-mile hike. Maps are available. Healthy living tips and mindfulness exercises to enhance your walk. Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of water. Free admission..

Thursday, May 25

The Teller County Commissioners will meet on May 25 at 9:15 a.m. in the Centennial Building in Cripple Creek.

TOPS. Take Off Pounds Sensibly- Meets every Thursday morning at 9 a.m.  in the basement of Church in the Wildwood 10585 Ute Pass Ave, Green Mountain Falls, CO 80819. Affordable, effective weight-loss

The Woodland Park City Planning Commission   will meet on May 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the WP Council Chambers. The meeting is available in-person and on Zoom. Special Note:  Council meetings now begin at 6:30 p.m., based on action taken by the city leaders recently (see related story).

Friday, May 26

Shining Mountain Opening.  The Shining Mountain Golf Course and clubhouse bar has opened for the 2023 season. Tee-times are available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.  In addition, the driving range and practice chipping  and putting greens are open for practice. SM will feature  special trivia nights  and other special events for the public. For more information, call 719-687-7587 and visit the Shining Mountain facebook page.

Teller County Playgroup, hosted by Community Partnership at 701 Gold Hill Place in Woodland Park, is FREE to any Parent or Caregiver with children ages 5 & under. Older siblings welcome.
Come meet a great group of friends for you and your little one! Exchange wisdom and support with other parents while exploring the world with your child through music, movement, arts and crafts, free play, story-time, field trips, and themed structured activities. Meeting three times a week, Playgroup offers opportunities for developmental screenings, school readin​ess assessments, and information on local resources. The Playgroup meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Friday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. For more information, call Jackie at 719-687-0705.

Sunday, May 28

Walk For Art. The Walk For Art involves 25+ local artists. People can pick up a passport and a map at Reserve Our Gallery before taking the walk. Each artist/location will sign your passport and then each passport is entered into a drawing for a $200 art voucher. You have all summer to fill your passport. Each passport is due at Reserve Our Gallery by September 1 to be part of the drawing. Artists are set up at Reserve Our Gallery, the Backyard Garden Gallery, WP Senior Center and Westside Gallery. The Walk occurs the last Sunday of each month from May to August. This month’s event will occur on May 28 from noon to 3 p.m. For  more information, call Gayle Gross at 719-401-2301.

Memorial Day Ceremonies.  On Saturday May 27 at 10 a.m. Veterans and Veteran Supporters will meet in the Woodland Park Cemetery to place American Flags on graves. In addition, there will be a Memorial Day Remembrance Celebration at 11 a.m. in the Woodland Park Cemetery on Monday May 29 The public is warmly invited to both events.

Upcoming

New Donkey Release Announced. Celebrate the release of the resident Cripple Creek Wild Donkey Herd from their winter grazing grounds into the city.  This is an annual event and the donkeys are very excited to leave their pasture for the greener grasses throughout the community.  The release takes place annually and was originally  scheduled for  May 15, but the release was postponed due to the weather situation. The release is now scheduled for May 29 at noon.  The Two Mile High Club and local officials are asking everyone, (locals, visitors, tourists and gamblers) to partake in this festive occasion along C Street, on Cripple Creek’s southwest corner, and meet the donkeys, first-hand. This includes the club’s  two newest additions, Calypso and Salsa, mother and daughter, who will roam with the herd for the first time. This year is special because “President Teddy Roosevelt” (featuring an amazing real-life impersonator, which will take you back 100 years), will be on hand to speak and to facilitate their release as he did in 1901. At that time, donkeys were the “beasts of burden” in deep underground gold mines where they lived, worked, and died under inhumane conditions. Volunteers will be at the intersection of C Street and Thurlow Avenue, where the release will occur. See related story in this week’s TMJ. The organizer of the event is the Two Mile High Club. For more information, and to see a video, outlining the release, visit the city of Cripple Creek’s tourism website.

TMJ School Graduation and Memorial Day Tribute Issue. The Mountain Jackpot News will publish its annual school graduate and Memorial Day tribute issue on May 30 This celebrates the achievements of local school seniors and pays special tribute to veterans and members of the armed forces, as we celebrate another Memorial Day.  Memorial Day is slated for May 29.  Also, TMJ will publish its annual Summer Gaming and Tourism Guide in mid-June.  For more information, and to become part of this important issues, contact a TMJ advertising representative or email us at editor@mountainjackpot.com.

Farmers Market Kick-off. This annual summer and fall tradition kicks off on June 2 on North Street next to Memorial Park and occurs every Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our Vendors come from all over Colorado and provide a variety of products to choose from. Including, Colorado fruits and vegetables, fresh baked bread, honey, coffee, food trucks, and more. We have space for 100 vendors, providing a large variety of products. If you are a vendor looking to sell at our market please apply here:

 https://wpfarmersmarket.com/selling-at-the-market

If you have any questions or suggestions please email

 info@wpfarmersmarket.com. For more information, call Sara Swart at 719-400-9986.

Mountain Arts Festival Call for Entries. The Mountain Artists are accepting entries for the 38th annual Mountain Arts Festival, August 12 and 13, 2023, to be held at Memorial Park in Woodland Park, Colorado. This is a juried art festival. Learn more about this huge event as we expand to 82+ booths, add live music and food trucks in 2023. Applications are available at www.themountainartists.org or you can call 719-401-2301 for more information.