GLIMPSES AND PHOTOS BY JUDITH PIAZZA
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Green Box & Auric Gallery presents the 3rd Annual Farm & Art Market
You won’t want to miss this afternoon of delight! The 3rd Annual Farm & Art Market hosted by Green Box Arts in partnership with Auric Gallery takes place Saturday, Sept. 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. at and around the Green Box Farm Stand in Green Mountain Falls. This unique market takes place only once per season and is becoming known for its unique approach to healthy eating, high quality products, local and national vendors, artistic inspiration and, of course, fall beauty in this small mountain town.
Karin Ellis brings her curatorial skills once again to the market with new farm vendors and food purveyors. Karin describes herself as a “food curator and boutique food consultant cultivating community, with thoughtful connections … A food stylist with an environmental approach.”
Karin’s passion for healthy eating and mouth-watering flavors was seeded in 2003 as she cultivated relationships with farmers on the East coast where she lived. Her love for wholesome food blossomed during a health challenge after childbirth.
“Fueling myself with healthy food felt like the only thing I had control over,” she said.
Then, during the Covid pandemic, she pledged to buy produce from farmers markets, and began making lunches for neighborhood folks, turning them on to delicious healthy eating. Her passion for all things food has deepened over time. She brings her deep appreciation for farmers and their stories, seasonal eating habits, unique vendors who honor growth cycles and locale, and the interconnections between all to her passion for cultivating healthy communities through high quality food.
Karin has found a home in Green Mountain Falls and with Green Box Arts since meeting Scott Levy, executive director of Green Box, at a UCCS Board Meeting in 2021 during which she served some of her delectables.
“Green Mountain Falls [and this market] gives me a certain freedom that I don’t always feel here [in Colorado Springs],” she said. “Being with Green Box is so empowering.”
This year, Abigail Kreuser and Gundega Stevens of Auric Gallery in Colorado Springs add their special touch as they partner with Green Box to bring inspirational art exhibitions to the market. Abigail and Gundega have a passion to provide dynamic platforms for established and emerging local artists to foster personal growth and community among artists and viewers alike. They are a welcome partner to this niche Farm & Art Market.
Enjoy the afternoon perusing a unique variety of specially-curated regional and national vendors, sip a cuppa from Colorado Springs’ Loyal Coffee, and immerse yourself in inspirational art, farmers’ stories, neighborhood connections and friends new and not-so-new.
Vendors will include: Christy Metz Jewelry, Ellen’s Flowers, Frost Livestock, Specialty Foods by Hunt + Gather, Moroccan Bags by Grace and Fire, Loyal Coffee, Baked Goods by Mae Goods, Mushrooms by Microvora, Maple Syrup by Mohawk Valley Trading Company, Nightingale Bread, Pastaficio and Uffda Waffles. And, expect to be surprised by other notable vendors, including Svetlana Henao-Zakharevich, who has been featured in the French Vogue magazine!
“It’s kind of a magical market,” divulges Karin.
Green Box Farm Stand is located at 6990 Lake Street, Green Mountain Falls, next to the Lake and gazebo. For more information, go to greenboxarts.org, instagram.com/karinellis9, auricgallery.com.
Search for Bigfoot while supporting Friends of the Peak
On Saturday, Sept. 14, from 8 a.m. to noon, hikers will search for the mighty and elusive Pikes Peak Bigfoot to support “Friends of the Peak” during their 4th Annual Fundraiser. Whether myth, magic, or mascot, the hike and after-event hold opportunities for laid-back, go-as-you-please hiking, Bigfoot sightings, fall beauty, friendship, hilarity and prizes!
The hunt takes place on the north side of Pikes Peak on the outskirts of Green Mountain Falls on the Bratton-Dewey Trail where infamous sightings of the hairy beast have been historically documented (really!) over decades.
Register to “bag a Yeti” and a chance to win prizes big and small. 100% of registration fees benefit the non-profit Friends of the Peak. (There will also be orange pinecones along the trail for the 12 & under Bigfoot hunters.)
Registered and non-registered friends can join in the fun at the Green Box Farm Stand after the morning hike. Talk all things trails with Friends of the Peak and Friends of Ute Pass Trails members.
For more information, go to friendsofthepeak.org, friendsofutepass.org., or facebook.com/events/972733051184335.
Handbell workshop with Forté at Church in the Wildwood
Have you ever wanted to ring one of those heavy-looking, beautiful silver bells you’ve heard in concert? Here’s your chance! The talented Forté Handbell Quartet of Colorado Springs, recently returned from their multi-state “Kaleidoscope” tour, will be back in the beautiful mountain town of Green Mountain Falls on Saturday, Oct. 12, 8 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 13, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. for the third year of a weekend workshop and concert!
All levels of ringers (and non-ringers) are welcome. Tracks for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced will be offered during the all-day workshop on Oct. 12. Lunch and dinner are included.
The weekend closes Sunday, Oct. 13 with a free concert by Forté for everyone to enjoy. Bring your family and friends and invite as many people as you like – no tickets are needed for the concert.
Church in the Wildwood is located at 10585 Ute Pass Avenue, Green Mountain Falls. For more information and to reserve your workshop spot, go to wildwooducc.org/handbell.
