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970 Grand County
970 Grand County
Revel in the Park: Winter Park's New Summer Celebration
Catherine Ross, Executive Director for Winter Park- Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce, reveals their exciting new August event "Revel in the Park" that combines outdoor activities, free concerts, and ticketed music performances. The festival embodies their community spirit with a focus on welcoming visitors to play, stay, and feel like they belong.
• Revel in the Park offers numerous free activities including yoga, Pilates, guided hikes, and bike rides
• Free concerts Thursday and Friday nights
• Saturday's main concert features national acts including Magoo, the Fretliners, Band of Heathens, Nikki Lane and Paul Cauthen
• Tickets start at $49 plus fees and include free gondola rides at Winter Park Resort both Friday and Saturday
• Winter Park's walkable design allows visitors to park once and use public transportation throughout the weekend
• Other summer events include Blues Festival, Art Affair, "Crafts, Cocktails and Corks" on July 26th, and a gravel bike race with new 10K trail run
Visit playwinterpark.com for details on all events and to purchase tickets.
My guest today is Katherine Ross. Katherine is the Executive Director for the Winter Park Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce. We talked today about the new event that they are hosting and working on, called Revel in the Park. It's happening in August. We also discussed some of the other great events that they have going on this summer. So sit back and enjoy my interview with Catherine. Good afternoon, catherine. How are you Good? How are you, gaylene, good? Summer's here, events are fine.
Speaker 3:It's this beautiful summer day.
Speaker 1:I'm looking out my window at some beautiful puffy summer clouds, and it's going to be a lovely weekend here it is. It is, yes, well, we've got, or well, not we, but you have a new event this year, which is always exciting, called Revel in the Park. Tell me a little bit about this event.
Speaker 3:So Revel in the Park encompasses the spirit of who we are as a community and that's not just Winter Park or Fraser, it's really Grand County that we are a community that really wants to welcome people here and, while they're here, we want them to play. Revel in the Park is really focused on encouraging everyone to play and stay for a while and feel like they belong while they're here. So we do. There's a music component that you and I will talk about, but before we do, we're also hosting outdoor activities all throughout Winter Park and Fraser over the course of the weekend. So we want people to connect with nature. We want them to take some time and learn on how to protect our beautiful natural area and our public lands. So there'll be free events for everyone, whether they're coming to attend the event or not. Um, like the music part of the event, so there'll be um free yoga and Pilates. There'll be free hikes and free bike rides and that'll be open to the general public. Um, all throughout the Valley Then and then, if you buy a ticket and also part of that is Winter Park Resort is our partner in this event, so they'll be hosting dock dogs along with hikes and bikes up at Winter Park Resort as part of celebrating the outdoors and the great things that there are to do. So lots of, lots of free activities that people can participate in.
Speaker 3:And then on Thursday night the festivities begin with a free concert. We have our free concert series on Thursday night, and so we'll have Hunker Down. Our local bluegrass band will be playing that night, and that's free. And then Friday night we're actually going to host a bigger show, and that's free. And then Friday night we're actually going to host, um, a bigger show, and that's a free show, so people can come to that. Um, there'll be uh, easy, gym, wood belly and digging dirt. They're all kind of, uh, bluegrass and um, and just really great music that is all family friendly, and so we'll be celebrating the great outdoors that night. So that show is in the evening.
Speaker 3:And then on Saturday both Friday and Saturday, if you did buy a ticket, you can go up to Winter Park Resort and ride the gondola for free. Your ticket gets you free gondola rides all day, both days, so that you can go up to the top of the mountain and enjoy the views, take hikes, all those things. It'll also get you some other discounts throughout the valley if you've purchased a ticket, and so then Friday night is free music, friday and Saturday you can use your ticket, your wristband for things, and so Saturday is the biggest night of music, is the biggest day of music, and the show starts at 430. We'll have Magoo the Fretliners, the Band of Heathens, nikki Lane and Paul Cawthon the Fretliners, the Band of Heathens, nikki Lane and Paul Cawthon, and it's all kind of some bluegrass, some kind of alt, some alt country, kind of outlaw type outlaw country.
Speaker 3:Great artists, national acts. Tickets are very reasonably priced. So it's a whole weekend of spending time outdoors, connecting with nature, connecting with your friends and family, meeting new friends, making new friends and family while you're here and then enjoying music in the evenings as kind of a celebration of being together.
Speaker 1:So basically, I mean, really it's a lot of the event is going to be free, which is great in this time, right now. So really the only thing that is a cost is the music on Saturday night, Correct, oh my gosh. And then if you buy a ticket for that event, then you get the free gondola pass.
Speaker 3:Yes, and then, and hopefully by August, there might be a couple other free things thrown in there, but for now that's the big one, Cause that's that's. That's a great perk to be able to go up there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And. Catherine, what are the ticket prices going to start at? They start at $49. Oh my gosh, that's so reasonable. It really is.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's $49 plus fees. So let's not, I am not one to tell you that there are no fees. Okay, because we are, we have partners and we're working with AEG and AXS, so there there's a cost to doing tickets. There's just a cost to running a ticket program, keeping track of people, all that good stuff. So, yeah, so there are ticket fees, just depending on what kind of ticket you get. So basically, it might be up to like $55 or something a ticket, maybe a little bit more, but it's lots of bands, yeah, I mean that's what time do the gates open?
Speaker 3:The gates open at four right now. They're scheduled to open at four o'clock on Saturday, On both days, Friday and Saturday.
Speaker 1:I mean, it sounds like such a fun weekend and it's August, the August 8th and 9th. Well, really 7th, 8th and 9th. The 7th, 8th and 9th my mind just went blank there for a minute. And this one is and this one's different.
Speaker 3:Well, and the thing is it's like it's also different. It's a little bit different model because the free show's on Friday night Like need to get home, like they'll, you know, friday, play hooky on Friday afternoon and come on up, but then do you still have Sunday to get home and maybe do laundry or some boring task or stay here Sunday and really enjoy. You know it gets a little quieter Sunday afternoon. You know it's a. It's a great kickoff to if you want to stay a week in Grand County. It's a great way to kick it off and then do the rest of all the great activities we have available in the county for four or five more days?
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And what's so nice, Catherine, is these events all happen downtown, but there is. You can park your car, find lodging, spend the night, take the bus, you know, into Winter Park, the resort.
Speaker 3:If you need groceries and Safeway.
Speaker 1:you don't even need to get back in your car, and it's a very walkable town as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's very walkable especially into the venue and then the venue will have vendors, food vendors and shopping vendors. But it still makes it easy to get done with the event and there'll be after parties in downtown so you'll be able to go out. I think some restaurants would stay open a little late so you can get a late bite to eat. But you know, but it. So it makes it nice because you don't have to drive and the buses will be on a not you know more often so that you can get back to your lodging and safely and without incident.
Speaker 1:That's right, and which makes it really a very affordable weekend, and it's just sounds like a fabulous event. So kudos to you and your team, and Winter.
Speaker 3:Park Resort is, like I said, is our major sponsor for this and I believe they do have. They have a summer special going for lodging right now. So if you buy tickets and get on their website or all of this is on playwinterparkcom and there are direct links on the page to winter park lodging, to the resort lodging as well as everyone else in town in august will has great prices but um, but as our sponsor, they're taking ownership in this and offering some good deals.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great. Well, yeah, nice collaboration effort between the chamber and the resort. So it sounds like a great event and I know you've got stuff going on almost every weekend right this summer Every weekend.
Speaker 3:The one weekend. So today is Blues Festival and that's the Blues Society. So we help, we just have to help. And then the only other weekend without an event that we own is the second weekend in July, which is Art Affair. But there is an event and there are some new producers of that event. They're switching stuff up a little bit. So we're all switching stuff up a little bit Just to kind of try something new here and there, and most of, and I would say all of the changes that we see being made is because people have asked us to change it. So we have a new crafts, cocktails and corks event which is a combination of our brew fest and our wine fest, throwing in a lovely dash of cocktails in there at the same time. So it's just one day of being able to taste a little bit of everything, or taste what you really like, so the beer drinkers can enjoy themselves, the wine people can, and then everybody loves. You know there'll be cocktails and mocktails, so there'll be something for everyone.
Speaker 1:And what's the date of that event? Catherine, july 26th. Okay, oh, that sounds like a fun. I love the mix up on that.
Speaker 3:Yep, that little again just shaking it up. Here we're just shaking it up.
Speaker 1:It's like with the cocktails that's perfect. So great and. I know that, just of all, we'll be coming in July you Perfect so great and I know that Jazz Festival will be coming in. July. You mentioned the Art Affair. The Revel in the Park is a new event and you just need to get on playwinterparkcom to find out all of the fun things.
Speaker 3:We have a gravel bike race the first weekend in August and we've added a 10K trail run to that, so we're excited to that'll be. We just did that this week, so there's's something that's kind of we're trying to grow an outdoor festival with that piece also.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Well, catherine, you are one of the busiest chambers and directors in the county. I so appreciate your time today.
Speaker 3:No problem, it's good to be on. I appreciate you wanting to listen to us ramble on about what we're doing.
Speaker 1:No, it's great. And yeah, I'll have to get on and look at some of those bands. I will. I mean, I can ride the bus. You can ride the bus from Grampy. I can get on the bus right here to Grampy. Yeah, catherine, thank you again.
Speaker 3:Thank you, okay, bye-bye.