The curtain is now closed on the 16th annual Green Box Arts Festival. Two weeks of dazzling dance, mesmerizing music, stunning art, fabulous films, tantalizing theater and more has rocked the small town of Green Mountain Falls and left those who participated reveling in the wonder of it all, changed by the excellence of the experience, and maybe just a bit grateful for the return to quietude.
Included this year was a diverse array of classes, most of which had sold out weeks before the festival began. Textiles, pie-making, silversmithing, wines and specialty foods, plant and nature hikes, yoga, healing sound, concerts, dance performances and masterclasses, films, block parties, pool party, art desk luncheons, patron brunch and artists dinner were among the events that created the backdrop for wellness, friendship, community, hilarity, bountiful beauty and lasting relationships.
Here are just a few snapshots of the more than 140 events that were featured at this year’s festival. Make sure to get on the Green Box email list at greenboxarts.org to receive upcoming news about next year’s much-anticipated festival!
Get out your boots and hats for Bronc Day, July 27 in Green Mountain Falls
Are you a cowgirl or a cowboy at heart? Or maybe you just love horses, pies, community and fun? If so, you won’t want to miss out on Bronc Day in Green Mountain Falls, one of Colorado’s oldest and longest running festivals, celebrating all things Western. Come dressed in your finest Western wear!
The 86th Annual Bronc Day is proudly presented by the nonprofit Building Ute Pass Community. The festival takes place on Saturday, July 27, from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Green Mountain Falls by Gazebo Lake. The day will be filled with old-fashioned family games, food and festivities, with arts and crafts vendors, mouthwatering food trucks, a beer garden, a pie contest and the much-anticipated parade at 10 a.m. featuring horses, parade royalty, vintage cars, Smokey the Bear … and Bigfoot? Come immerse yourself in the vibrant western culture of the Ute Pass area.
The theme for this year is “All Aboard for Ute Pass,” paying homage to the Midland Railway that connected Colorado Springs to communities in the Ute Pass in the late 1800s. The Railway was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. The track’s path and a tunnel are still visible in Ute Pass from Highway 24. Passengers on the railway included locals and “summer people” from neighboring states who built vacation homes in the area.
Local historian Mel McFarland will be part of the festivities this Bronc Day. McFarland is the author of numerous books about the Midland Railway and its place in the history of the Ute Pass. Also on hand will be the Pikes Peak “N” Gineers, who will have a model train set up at the Green Box Arts studios (6990 Lake St., Green Mountain Falls).
The mission of Building Ute Pass Community is to unite, inspire and empower the people of the Ute Pass area to create a thriving future together. Find out more at broncdayfestival.org. To volunteer or become a sponsor, contact info@broncdayfestival.org, or bupc@buildingutepasscommunity.org.
Partners for this year’s Bronc Day include the Town of Green Mountain Falls (greenmountainfalls.colorado.gov), Friends of Ute Pass Trails (friendsofutepass.org), Green Box Arts (greenboxarts.org), Church in the Wildwood (wildwooducc.org), Western Heritage Spirit of Colorado Springs (westernheritagespirit.com) and Ute Pass Historical Society (utepasshs.org).
Schedule of Events:
7-10 a.m. Pancake breakfast, Church in the Wildwood
8 a.m.-3 p.m. Model train exhibit
8:30-9:30 a.m. Parade Registration
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Arts/crafts Vendors
9 a.m. Pie judging
10 a.m. Parade
10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Free pool swimming
11 a.m. Duck races
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Touch a Truck
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Beer garden
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Face painting with princesses
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Gold panning, dinosaur resources and Cool Science
11:30 a.m. Contest awards and presentations
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Fashion kids games
Noon-2 p.m. Paint a Train
Noon-3 p.m. Magician
Ute Pass Monday Music Series
Mondays, 6-8 p.m. on Gazebo Lake, Green Mountain Falls or at the Green Box Farm Stand if raining
Bring chairs, picnics welcome – no glass
Sponsored by the Ute Pass Chamber of Commerce (discoverutepass.com)
July 22 Friends of the Riders
July 29 Countywyde
August 5 Blue Recluse
August 12 Tribe
August 19 Nube Nueve
August 26 Roma Ransom
September 2 Hot Boots Band
September 9 Look’ee Here
Send news and/or photos to judypiazza@gmail.com.
