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Crested Butte Wine + Food Festival – purchase event tickets here!

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Get your tickets below!

EAT. DRINK. GIVE.

Passes available now! Get yours here. A la carte tickets on sale now.

The 2022 Crested Butte Wine and Food Festival, now in its 12th year, is scheduled for July 20-23 and the Center’s state-of-the-art building will showcase as headquarters for many of the events. Enlighten your senses with intimate winemaker’s dinners, the Crested Butte Grand Tasting, VIP lounge with highly rated wines, and a wide range of educational seminars for the novice and connoisseur alike.

The Crested Butte Wine and Food Festival is an annual fundraiser for the Crested Butte Center for the Arts, the premier visual and performing arts venue in the region. For over 30 years, the Center has been dedicated to providing arts and cultural experiences that inspire and entertain all audiences, whether they call Crested Butte home every day or just for the weekend.

Schedule of PRE-FESTIVAL events:


Wednesday, June 29 | 6 pm Tour de Forks Winemaker Dinner: Summer Kickoff
Winemaker Edgar Torres (Songs Wines, Paso Robles) + Chefs Luke Martin + Chris Dressick (Blackstock Bistro, Gunnison) cook up a feast to welcome you home.
The home of Marjie Locker, Almont  |  $300  |  tickets

Saturday, July 16 | 5:30 pm Tour de Forks Winemaker Dinner: Masters of the Art
Top Chef Johnny Iuzzini and Chef Justin Benavidez (both of LeRoux, Denver) + sommelier Charlie Humphreys (Empire Distributors) transport you to France.
The home of Lenni + Bill Burke, Town of Crested Butte
Exclusive to Star and Pearl Passholders

Saturday, July 16 | 8 pm Bon Appétit! A Julia Child Operetta
Local favorite Elizabeth Bond returns with a delectable selection of tasty tunes joined by Victoria Hansen as Julia Child herself in this one-night-only production.
The Center’s Steddy Theater  |  $40  |  tickets

Monday, July 18 | 5:30 pm Alpenglow: Reckless Kelly
Preview festival wines and enjoy picnic charcuterie from David Wilkins of the Divvy.
VIP Wine Tent exclusive to Festival Passholders

 

Schedule of FESTIVAL events:

Wednesday, July 20

9-10:15 am Yoga + Mimosas: Vinyasa
Join Allie McFarland and start your morning right with an hour of self-care. Enjoy a welcome mimosa and roll out your yoga mat to move into your center.
Center for the Arts, Jones Performance Hall | $45 | tickets

9:30 – 10:30 am Sip + See
A festival first! Enjoy a glass of vino and get a “sneak peek” at art + the week ahead!
Center for the Arts, Kinder Padon Gallery | Please RSVP to reserve your spot

11 am – 12:15 pm Seminar: A Five Glass Flight through Fruili, Italy
Tre Gerbitz talks through five iconic – and staggeringly differing – bottles, and tells each of their stories.
Center for the Arts, Steddy Theater | tickets

11 am – 12:15 pm Attuning to Your Senses: Garden Wine Tasting
A holistic sensory experience enjoyed al-fresco on the banks of Coal Creek. Sip your way through a selection from Buckel Family Wines curated by winemaker Shamai Buckel paired with locally-produced fare chosen by Mountain Roots Food Project chef Rachel Branham.
The Garden of Lauren Lange, Crested Butte | $60 | tickets

11 am – 12:15 pm Palette to Palate: Exploring Synethesia with Drinkable Art
Follow the path from palette to palate as the Center Art + Bar departments collide in this seminar that invites you to “taste the art”.
Center for the Arts, Kinder Padon Gallery | $60 | tickets

1:30 – 2:45 pm Seminar: Bukaty Painting Masterclass
Get your seat with John Bukaty as he teaches a masterclass in inspirational live painting.
Center for the Arts, Steddy Theater | $60 | tickets

6 pm Tour de Forks Winemaker Dinner: Welcome Home
Chef Mawa McQueen (Mawa’s Kitchen, Aspen) + winemaker Neil Collins (Tablas Creek Winery) welcome you to the Festival.
Private home, Town of Crested Butte  |  $300 | tickets

 

Thursday, July 21
(All seminars are held at the Center for the Arts)

9-10:15am Yoga + Mimosas: Slow Flow
Join Allie McFarland and start your morning right with an hour of self-care. Enjoy a welcome mimosa and roll out your yoga mat to move into your center
Center for the Arts, King Community Room + Terrace | $45 | tickets

10 am-11:15 am Serious Terroir: Biodiverse Viticulture for Complex Wine
Join Neil Collins and Shelley Sale of Southern Glazer’s and taste wine from Tablas Creek (Paso Robles) + Gérard Bertrand (France) that illuminates the results of biodiverse vineyards in both the New + Old World. Biodiversity
Center for the Arts, Jones Performance Hall | $60 | tickets

10-11:15 am Seminar: Piedmont: A Study in Italian Terroir
Sommelier Aaron Tomcak (Mountain Spirits Liquors)  |  $60 | tickets

10-11:15 am Seminar: Biodiverse Viticulture for Complex Wine
Winemaker Neil Collins (Tablas Creek Winery)  |  $60  |  tickets

11:30 am-12:15 pm Mid-Seminar Repast
With Burnell’s Farmhouse Eatery (Gunnison) + Prieto’s Catering (Aurora)
Lunch is included with passes; food also available for purchase

12:30-1:45 pm Seminar: Celebrating the Underdogs: Finding Value in Lesser-Known Italian Varietals
With Sommelier Erin Lindstone (Barolo Grill)  |  $60  |  tickets

12:30-1:45 pm Seminar: Seed to Skin: Scrappy Bartending
With Chelsea Noble (Marble Distilling) + Rachel Branham (Mountain Roots Food Project)  |  $60  |  tickets

2:30-3:45 pm Seminar: Modern-Day Spain: Where Tradition and Diversity Intersect
With Master Sommelier Sean Razee (Southern Glazer’s)  |  $60  |  tickets

2:30-3:45 pm Seminar: Pinot Wars!
With Sommeliers Judy Byron + Diane Kresley (Grand Vin)  |  $60  |  tickets

2:30-3:45 pm For the Sake of Saké
Sommelier Shelley Sale guides you through the four types of sake, revealing the magic of this beautiful and complex beverage that dates back to the 8th century.
Center for the Arts, King Community Room | $60 | tickets

6 pm Tour de Forks Winemaker Dinner: Taste of Home
Chef Arden Lewis and protégé Olivia Marcano (Comal Heritage Food Incubator, Denver) bring their homes to your plate with Winemaker Michael Hirby of Relic Wines.
The home of Lauren + Garrett Dimon, Town of Crested Butte  |  $300  |  tickets

 

Friday, July 22
All seminars are at the Center for the Arts

9-10:15 am Yoga + Mimosas: Slow Flow Outdoor
Join Allie McFarland and start your morning right with an hour of self-care outside in beautiful Crested Butte.
Center for the Arts, Alpenglow Outdoor Stage | $45 | tickets

10-11:15 am Seminar: The Riedel Sensory Workshop
With Sommelier Shelley Sale. Includes a set of four Riedel glasses  |  $125  |  tickets

10-11:15 am Seminar: Napa Then + Now
With Winemaker Michael Hirby (Relic Wines)  |  $60  |  tickets

11 am – 12 pm Sip + Try
New to the Wine + Food Festival! Enjoy a glass of wine as you have the exclusive opportunity to try on Alexandra’s contemporary, conceptual, and sustainable high-end jewelry with the artist herself.
Center for the Arts, Kinder Padon Gallery | Please RSVP to reserve your spot

12-1:30 pm Birds + Bubbles Social
Toast to the arts with a chicken luncheon paired with decadent sparkling wines.
Exclusive to Festival Passholders.

The Grand Tasting
Taste your way through hundreds of wines and spirits in a jovial atmosphere with a reimagined VIP area.

2-3 pm VIP + Industry Hour  |  $150

3-6 pm General Admission  |  $50

tickets

 

Saturday, July 23

5:30 pm The Grand Vintner Gala + Auction
Honoring Festival Founder Jeff Hermanson

Performance art, fine wine, and gourmet food converge in an immersive evening of synesthesia. Starring Chef Dana Rodriguez (Work + Class, Denver), Chef Jennifer Jasinski (Rioja, Denver), Chef Troy Guard (TAG Restaurants, Denver), and Erika Rojas (Prieto’s Catering, Aurora) plus winemaker Neil Collins (Tablas Creek Winery), winemaker Edgar Torres (Bodega de Edgar), artist John Bukaty, Wild Hare Dance, and more.

The Center for the Arts  |  $250  |  tickets

Watercolor + Wine Series

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Local watercolor artist Karen Hill guides you (and your wine) through a watercolor painting from start to finish, giving instruction on setting up to paint, wash and watercolor painting techniques, composition, and more. Wine and beer are provided to participants 21 and older, so you can relax and create! All watercolor supplies and your drinks are included. Absolutely no watercolor experience is necessary!

In the Center’s King Community Room. 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. $55

Dates:

Thursdays

June 16, 23, 30
July 7, 19*, 28 (*July 19 is a Tuesday)
Aug 4, 11

(valentine’s day) poetry + chocolate + wine

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Join us for a scintillatingly special Valentine’s Day!

Bring your main-squeeze, close friend, or treat yourself to an evening of wine, chocolate, and some of the very best romantic poetry read by a panel of professional actors.

Tickets include a flight of four wines from Buckel Family Wine, a selection of handcrafted gourmet chocolate specially curated by the Chocolate Enthusiast, and lots of entertainment. Readers: Steven Cole Hughes, Heather Hughes & surprise special guest.

Watercolor + Wine Series

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Join local watercolor artist, Karen Hill, for a step-by-step painting class. Karen guides the group through a watercolor painting from start to finish, giving instruction on setting up to paint, wash and watercolor painting techniques, composition, and more. Wine and beer are provided to participants 21 and older, so you can relax and create! All watercolor supplies and your drinks are included. Absolutely no watercolor experience is necessary!

In the Center’s King Community Room. 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. $55

Feb 9 (Wed) – theme TBD

Feb 16 (Wed) – theme TBD

March 2 (Wed)- theme TBD

March 16 (Wed) – theme TBD

PLEASE NOTE:  Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test must be shown for entry to events at the Center.  See our current COVID policy HERE.

Crested Butte Wine + Food Festival

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The Crested Butte Wine and Food Festival

Eat. Drink. Give

After a hiatus in 2020, we hope you are ready to raise your glass and celebrate with us! This annual epicurean celebration is back with gusto. Join us for winemaker dinners, informative seminars, a glamorous vintner gala, and everything in between — headquartered at the new Center for the Arts in the heart of Crested Butte.

The Crested Butte Wine and Food Festival is an annual fundraiser for the Crested Butte Center for the Arts, the premier visual and performing arts venue in the region. For over 30 years, the Center has been dedicated to providing arts and cultural experiences that inspire and entertain all audiences, whether they call Crested Butte home every day or just for the weekend.

All proceeds from the Wine and Food Festival directly allow the Center to sustain its year-round programming, including the free Alpenglow summer concert series, a range of enrichment activities for local children, and diverse programming in literary, culinary, visual, and performing arts for the entire community. In our new facility, the Center has even more capacity to provide meeting and event spaces to local nonprofits at reduced rates, including the School of Dance, the Crested Butte Music Festival, the Public Policy Forum of Crested Butte, the Crested Butte Community School, and more.

stay safe together

The highest priority for Crested Butte Wine + Food Festival is and has always been the safety and health of our participants, staff, volunteers, and our culinary and winemaking rockstars. All festival events will comply with state and local public health guidelines and protocols to ensure a safe and enjoyable festival.

Watercolor + Wine

by Leave a Comment

Join local watercolor artist, Karen Hill, for a step-by-step painting class. Karen guides the group through a watercolor painting from start to finish, giving instruction on setting up to paint, wash and watercolor painting techniques, composition, and more. Wine and beer are provided to participants 21 and older, so you can relax and create! All watercolor supplies and your drinks are included. Absolutely no watercolor experience is necessary!

In the Center’s King Community Room.

Thursdays
4:30 – 7:00 p.m. $55

Reserve your space here 

PLEASE NOTE:  Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test must be shown for entry to events at the Center.  See our current COVID policy HERE.

June 24: CB Happy Hour
July 1: A Pair Plus One
July 8: Daisies
July 15: CB Frog
July 22: Poppies
July 29: Hummingbird
August 5: Blue Elephant
August 12: Abstract Sunflower
August 19: CB Landscape
August 26: Rooster
September 2: Flowers in Vase
September 9: Barn
September 16: Geraniums
September 23: CB Landscape
September 30: Snow on Mountains

Western Student Juried Art Show Opening Reception

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Join us for an evening of art and music! The Art and Music Departments at Western Colorado University are proud to present the 2021 Western Student Juried Art Show at the Center. This exhibition of visual art features finely-crafted paintings, photos, prints, ceramics, jewelry, and installation work by 27 current art students at Western Colorado University. This exhibition was juried by Rosalind Cook, an internationally recognized sculptor who lives and works in Crested Butte. As Rosalind describes in her juror’s statement, these 27 carefully selected works convey “both strong pictorial elements but also make an impact on an emotional and intellectual level.”

The Western Colorado University Music Department will also provide a sonic backdrop to the event with a three-hour-long musical performance in the first-floor atrium. The musical performance will feature both individual student and faculty performances along with larger ensembles that will encompass different musical styles throughout the evening. This event is free and open to the public, but capacity may be limited due to COVID restrictions. If you are unable to attend the opening, the exhibition will run until April 30, 2020. A very special thanks to the Student Art League, Art and Music Departments, and the Council for Creative Expressions for supporting this event. Exhibiting Artists: Sarah Ackerman, Daniel Lesh, Evan Allison, Aaron Mason, Catherine Barisas, Tanner Marcus, Ariel Benney, Nia Morales, Erica Casey, Erin Riley, Tyler Catalioto, Mallory Siebenneicher, Emma DeHaven, Matt Smith, Aly Hargrove, Danielle Vitulli, Jay Hickox, Nathan Walsh, Brenna Hilgers, Ruby Woodings, Meghan LaHatte

Center Kinder Padon Gallery Open Hours: Tuesdays, 1 – 3 pm and Fridays, 10 – 12 pm.

  (Valentine’s Day) Poetry + Chocolate + Wine

by Leave a Comment

Join us for a scintillatingly special Valentine’s Day!

Bring your main-squeeze, close friend, or treat yourself to an après afternoon of wine, chocolate, and some of the very best romantic poetry read by a panel of professional actors.

Tickets include four flights of Buckel Family Wine, a selection of handcrafted gourmet chocolate specially curated by the Chocolate Enthusiast, and lots of entertainment. Readers: Scott Palmer, Steven Cole Hughes, Heather Nicholson Hughes & Jillian Liebl.

Watercolor + Wine

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Join local watercolor artist, Karen Hill, for a step-by-step painting class winter scenes. Karen guides the group through a watercolor painting from start to finish, giving instruction on setting up to paint, wash and watercolor painting techniques, composition, and more. Wine, spritzers or beer are provided to participants 21 and older, so you can relax and create! All watercolor supplies and your drinks are included. Absolutely no watercolor experience is necessary!

Safely socially distanced in our King Community Room.

Fridays, January 15, 29, February 12. Thursdays, February 25, March 11 & 25.  4:30 – 7:00 p.m. $55

Watercolor & Wine: Winter Series

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Join local watercolor artist, Karen Hill, for a step-by-step painting class of fall scenes. Karen guides the group through a watercolor painting from start to finish, giving instruction on setting up to paint, wash and watercolor painting techniques, composition, and more. Wine and spritzers are provided to participants 21 and older, so you can relax and create! All watercolor supplies and your drinks are included. Absolutely no watercolor experience is necessary!