Bronc Day announces 2025 Grand Marshal
Bronc Day, the signature event of Green Mountain Falls for 87 years, will take place this summer on Saturday, July 26. Leading the parade and festivities will be long-time resident Ann Esch.
Parade organizers say Ann first came to Green Mountain Falls as a summer visitor in 1937. She was two years old for the inaugural Bronc Day in 1939. As a child, she loved the three glorious months she spent in the mountains every summer. She rode her favorite horse, Chico, at the Brockhurst Stable for 25 cents an hour and delighted in being a “guide” when she ran out of money.
Ann has been dedicated to and deeply involved in local government for decades and carries forward the history and essence of Green Mountain Falls, keeping it alive for those who don’t remember the early days.
In 1914, Ann’s great-grandfather, Theron Houghton, from Arkansas City, Kansas, came to “The Gem of the Rockies,” Green Mountain Falls. Grandfather Houghton wasn’t wealthy but knew how to build, so the Jack o’ Lantern and Grumble Knot cabins were built on a tiny parcel and have been enjoyed by many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins and friends for over 100 years.
Ann says she is honored to help represent the town’s pioneers by serving as Grand Marshal for the 87th annual Bronc Day Festival.
For more information, visit BroncDayFestival.org.
Green Box Arts gears up for summer fun with arts and wellness
Green Mountain Falls is more than a scenic mountain town – it’s a community that invests in health and wellness. From outdoor trails that promote an active lifestyle to events that bring people together, area organizations strive to nurture mind, body, and spirit.
One such organization is Green Box Arts. Launched in 2009 to promote innovation in the creative arts, Green Box has expanded its programs to include health and wellness experiences for Ute Pass residents and visitors.
Organizers say this year’s Green Box Arts Festival (Friday, June 27 – Saturday, July 12) will offer the following wellness opportunities:
• Fitness classes and presentations by local athlete and instructor LaDonna Reed.
• Guided strength workouts at the Keith Haring Fitness Court.
• Multiple themed hikes led by the Friends of Ute Pass Trails and other open space experts.
• Yoga classes led by three Colorado Springs instructors who each bring their unique expertise to these rejuvenating sessions.
• Aqua Zumba returns along with regular Zumba classes.
• New this year, a guided bike ride through the mountains in partnership with SoCo Velo cycling club.
• Music therapist Judith Piazza returns with her popular healing sound journeys inside the Skyspace.
The full schedule of events will be released soon at GreenBoxArts.org. While some events are free, all require registration. The Festival Box Office opens in-person and online to members on May 5 and to the general public on May 19.
Expanding mental health services in Ute Pass
Bloom Wellness and Mt. Tabor Counseling now have an office at Church in the Wildwood in Green Mountain Falls, where they offer comprehensive counseling for individuals and families, from children to older adults.
Bloom Wellness is a growth-centered therapy practice with a team of 11 dedicated clinicians. They provide evidence-based treatments, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Focused CBT, Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
For more information, visit BloomWellnessTherapy.com. For inquiries or appointments, email Admin@BloomWellnessTherapy.com or call 719-286-9077.
Mt. Tabor Counseling offers spiritually informed, psychologically sound mental health support for individuals, couples, and families. Therapists use evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Systemic Therapy, Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Music Therapy and Logotherapy.
Mt. Tabor Counseling also provides educational programs and retreats for organizations. Learn more at MountTaborCounseling.com. For inquiries or appointments, email Tabor Counseling at Appointments@MountTaborCounseling.com or call 303-422-1567.
Other wellness collaborations at Church in the Wildwood include:
• Turning Point AA group, Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 6 p.m.
• TOPS [Take Off Pounds Sensibly] Weight Loss Support, Thursdays at 9-11 a.m.
• Community Yoga, Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Thursdays 9 a.m.
