Estes Park Winter Festival

3rd Annual Estes Park Winter Festival

Martin Luther King Weekend, January 13 – 16, 2012*

(*See schedule for daily activities).

For those that have watched us grow in popularity over the last two years, we have now graduated to a larger venue to accommodate everyone more comfortably. We are now in a heated enclosed pavilion at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park, which offers us plenty of room to grow; over twice the size of last year!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Céilidh Barn Dance    7:00 pm-midnight at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park

Join us for the Estes Park Winter Festival's kick-off event! A Céilidh Irish Barn Dance in the heated pavilion at the Stanley Park Fairgrounds heated. Be entertained with fun and upbeat folk & Irish music that will make you want to kick up your heels! Follow the Caller to learn the steps. We know you will have a blast!

A Ceilidh is an informal social gathering at which there is Scottish & Irish folk music, singing and folk dancing and story telling. Fun for the whole family!

Ceilidh dances tend to be either a partner dance or a group dance, with a caller who shouts out the moves - which makes a Ceilidh ideally suited for novices in an audience. It's a relaxed opportunity to meet and dance with a lot of people, friends old and new. Because the dances are so energetic, it is quite usual to pause for a chat and a drink between dances - or you can choose to just watch the other dancers while you are soaking up the energy-charged atmosphere.

Take a break from the dancing and head outside to the bonfire where you can enjoy ghost stories and cowboy poetry by the fire with FREE hot cocoa and smores. Enjoy a drink from the bar with $4 Colorado micro-brews and $5 glasses of Colorado wine and keep your commemorative glass for a memento of this fun and unique evening.

Admission to the Ceilidh is FREE. Sponsored by the Estes Park Wedding Association www.estesparkweddings.com

Friday and Saturday, January 13-14, 2012

Star Gazing at the Estes Park Memorial Observatory 6:30pm-8:30 pm at the East end of Stanley Park

Gaze at the planets and stars in Estes Park's crystal clear skies. The Estes Park Memorial Observatory features a 16 foot dome with a computer controlled 12 inch Meade telescope, for a close-up view of the night sky. FREE

www.angelsabove.org

Saturday, January 14, 2012

17th Annual Winter Trails Day  10:00 am – 2:00 pm in Rocky Mountain National Park at the Park and Ride lot near Glacier Basin

Learn how to snowshoe, try complimentary snowshoes from you choice of manufacturers (Tubbs, Atlas, MSR, Crescent Moon and more). Receive expert advice on selecting and fitting snowshoes, along with other fun ideas about how to enjoy winter in the mountains. Don't miss the igloo - a crowd favorite!

Participants can attend free informational clinics which include educational stations on winter activity basics, safety techniques, nutrition and hydration tips, essential conditioning exercises and how to dress for winter hiking and camping. The national Winter Trails organization and REI sponsor this free event.

FREE, and Rocky Mountain National Park entrance fee are waived for the weekend!

WinterTrails.org.   info@estesparkwinterfestival.com  970-577-9900; 800-443-7837

Saturday and Sunday, January 14-15, 2012

Estes Park Winter Festival 11:00 am-5:00 pm at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park

Beer, Wine, Chili Cook-off, CandyLand Ice Castle, Ice Rink, Live Music featuring Coyote Grace, Pony Rides, Petting Zoo, Horse & Carriage rides and so much more at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park - Estes Park, Colorado!

Ice Fun CandyLand Ice Castle, ice sculptures, interactive activities, ice carving, ice slide, sno-cone luge and money cubes! New this year - a 40' x 48' state-of-the-art synthetic ice rink that is weather proof! You have to see it to believe it!!

Jess Parrish returns with his Cool Hand Ice Crew, famous all over the country for their beautiful ice carvings. While children explore the ice sculptures and games, zoom down the snow slide and enjoy a sno-cone from the ice luge; adults can watch Jess and his team create intricate ice carvings. The Money Cube has been a popular and rewarding activity that returns this year!

Live Music - Check out great local bands on the main stage in the Pavilion

Wine tastings - More than eight Colorado wineries.  Taste and buy a bottle if you wish!

Beer tastings – More than eleven Colorado microbreweries.

Chili Cook-Off  - Saturday features local restaurants and chefs competing to win the "People's Choice Award". Come vote for your favorite! Sunday features a Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) sanctioned chili cook-off and "homecooked" chili competition with judging conducted by a CASI supervised panel. Anyone can enter - see the "participate" link for more information!


TICKETS available at the gate or online at WWW.LOCALWINEEVENTS.COM

$5  Festival Entry, includes Festival activities and all you can taste chili (Children under 3 years old are free).

$25  includes Festival Entry and all you can taste beer and wine with commemorative decorative glass.

 Pony rides $5, Horse and Carriage rides $5, Skating $1 per skate. Must pay Festival Entry to participate in these activities.

ALL WEEKEND……

Local merchants Displaying and selling their art, photographs, jewelry and so much more!

Scavenger Hunt Each day at noon (Friday through Monday), take part in a town-wide scavenger hunt with a chance to win lodging, retail and restaurant prizes. Pick up clues at the Estes Park Visitor Center or the entrance to the Winter Festival at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park.

Estes Park Specials Spa, lodging, shopping and restaurant specials will be offered throughout the holiday weekend.

Photo Tours Reserve a morning or afternoon photo tour with Photos by Sandi at www.PhotosbySandi.com. Learn new tips and tricks on how to photograph elk and other wildlife, including Rocky Mountain National Park scenery.

Art Gallery Walk Tour Estes Park's art galleries and enjoy hot wassail and other refreshments while you admire beautiful artwork from around the country. Art Gallery Walk maps are available at the Estes Park Visitor Center and the Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park Gallery 423 W. Elkhorn Ave. www.EstesArts.com

Horseback Riding If you're looking for something more adventurous, try horseback riding through the beautuful forests surrounding the Estes Valley. Tours daily at Sombrero Ranch Stables. www.sombrero.com

Fly Fishing Along the area's lakes and streams.

Aquatic Center Family swim at the Aquatic Center Friday and Monday.

For more information about the Estes Park Winter Festival, call 1-800-44-ESTES or email info@EstesParkWinterFestival.com

Come to experience a beautiful winter weekend in Estes Park and also take advantage of lodging discounts, restaurant specials and retail deals.  Come stay and play!