Mountain Almanac for the Week of August 6

Tuesday, August 6

The Woodland Park Downtown Development Authority will meet on Aug. 6 at 7:30 a.m. in the WP Council Chambers.

Shining Mountain Open For Play.  The Shining Mountain (SM) Golf Course in Woodland Park is in full stride for their 2024 season, with daily tee times and  play contingent on weather conditions.  The course is in great shape for the mid-summer.  In addition, the driving range and chipping area/putting green is open, along with the spacious SM bar and outdoor patio. For more information, call 719-687-7587. A slew of charity tournaments are in the works, along with other links-related activities and special deals throughout the season. Some of the new happenings include Majestic Mondays, with great deals for 18-holes with a cart, and Trivia Tuesdays, with prizes for top teams, pizza, good times and more.  Check regular updates in TMJ and on the Shining Mountain Facebook page.

The Green Mountain Falls Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. in the GMF Town Hall.

The Woodland Park Planning Commission will meet on August 8 at   6:30 p.m. in the council chambers, next to city hall. The meeting is available in-person and on Zoom.

Friday, Aug. 9

“25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”  Featured at the Butte Theater from now to August 18. An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, h oping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, live un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion. At least the losers get a juice box. This hilarious show, produced by the Chameleon Arts and Entertainment group, runs Wednesday through Sunday.  Visit the Butte Theater website for ticket information.

Saturday, August 10

FREE HISTORIC TOURS! “Ambiance on the Red Trolley” is a FREE 30-minute historical tour of Cripple Creek.  Join the Gold Camp Victorian Society on Saturdays from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, from 1 to  3 p.m. to hear the fascinating history of the World’s Greatest Gold Camp. Tours begin at the District Museum Train Car. For further information, visit the GCVS website…goldcampvictoriansociety.org FREE

Mountain Arts Festival. The 39th annual Mountain Arts Festival is August 10 & 11  at Memorial Park in Woodland Park. The event opens at 9 a.m. and wraps up at 4 p.m. each day. This festival is celebrating 39 years in 2024 and each year we do our best to bring new opportunities to our patrons and vendors. This year a person has the option to participate in a wine tasting on Saturday. The festival also features a silent auction. If you have questions, send a message to mtnartsfest@gmail.com or call 719-401-2301.

Upcoming

The Monday Music Series continues in Green Mountain Falls with a full slate of performers throughout the summer and early fall. For the evening of Aug. 12, the featured act is the Tribe. The shows will be held at the GMF Farm Stand, right next to The Pantry.   Bring a lawn chair, refreshments, your favorite beverages and enjoy the great live music. Picnics are welcome, but please, no glass containers. The concerts are sponsored by the Ute Pass Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit www.discoverutepass.com.

Free Community Concert. Scheduled for Aug. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ute Pass Cultural Center in Woodland Park. Come join us for an incredible evening of live music at the Ute Pass Cultural Center! Get ready to connect with local rock star – Cari Dell!  Cari is known for energetic live performances and guitar showmanship. Her electrifying guitar strokes have been compared to such greats as Carlos Santana, Eric Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Cari Dell has a strong following in the area. This will be an outdoor concert under our beautiful outdoor Pavilion! Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. All ages are welcome but children must stay with an adult at all times. The doors open at 5:30 pm – 

the UPCC bar will be open and a food truck will be there! The show starts at 6 p.m. and wraps up around 8 to 8:30 p.m. This concert is FREE thanks to our sponsor, Pikes Peak Credit Union!

The Salute to America Veterans Rally and Motorcycle Ride. The 31st annual Salute to American Veterans Rally embodies the values of DUTY, HONOR, CAMARADERIE, RESPECT and FREEDOM.  A host of ceremonies will occur on Aug. 17 in Memorial Park in Woodland Park, featuring a variety of speakers, paying tributes to current and former veterans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Part of this event also includes the largest procession of motorcycles in Colorado, known as the POW/MIA Recognition Ride. In 1987, the crew at High Country Custom Cycles rounded up some friends, veterans, and local bikers for a gathering at the shop on a warm Sunday morning. The group affixed star-spangled banners and POW/MIA flags to their motorcycles and headed out for a group ride through town – the strategy was to make as much noise as possible and hopefully get the attention of some local citizens. The effort accomplished much more, and as the annual Ride slowly grew from a dozen motorcycles to many hundreds, the event attracted vendors, became an overnighter, and ultimately gave birth to what is now known as the Salute to American Veterans Rally. Each year, the Ride attracts more than 1500 motorcyclists from across the nation, and each and every bike proceeds from Woodland Park to Cripple Creek along the recently dedicated POW/MIA Memorial Highway. Now in its 37th year, the Ride has maintained its integrity and longevity, proving that it is a solid proposition worthy of the support of all of Colorado’s motorcyclists.  The Salute Rally is sponsored by ProPromotions.  For event details, visit the Salute Rally website.

Great Fire Days.  The 125th annual Great Fire Days celebration will occur in Victor on  Aug. 17 and Aug. 18,  in remembrance of the devastating fire that wiped out Victor in 1899. In fact, most of the historic building standing today, were part of an unprecedented rebirth of the mining district, following this devastating fire.  The headlines made national news – including the New York Times and the San Francisco Call. Aug. 21, 1899 Victor went up in a mass of smoke and flames. By then the town had a population of 8,000 residents. It took wind-driven flames only five hours to destroy the bustling town that was part of the World’s Greatest Gold Camp.  The historical fire again is making headlines with a presentation of its devastation 125 years ago in August. The presentation, sponsored by the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum, entitled “Victor Goes Up in Smoke,”  will be given Saturday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. at the museum. The presenter is Gary Horton of Victor and will include photos from the museum’s collection. The presentation is in conjunction with the Great Fire Days celebration being sponsored by the Victor Tourism Board. For more information about the celebration, visit the city’s tourism website at victortourism.com. For information about the museum presentation, call 719-689-5509.

Memorial Wall Dedication. The Pikes Peak Region’s Memorial Wall offers a place to reflect on the sacrifices made for our freedom. Any members of our Armed Forces who were lost in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11, 2001 and were stationed at one of our five area installations, had a home of record in El Paso or Teller County or graduated from the Air Force Academy are listed on the wall in remembrance of their sacrifice and service. The Memorial Wall Dedication is a beautiful, solemn remembrance ceremony. Please join us for the Reading of the Names, guest speakers, a Wreath Laying Ceremony, and a stunning performance. The ceremony, sponsored by the city of Cripple Creek, occurs on Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. at the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery, is free of charge and open to the public.