Tools

Snowmass Village Toasts Summer With Wine and Balloon Fests

by KREX News Room
by Amanda Brandeis

Story Created: Sep 15, 2012 at 10:57 PM MDT

Story Updated: Sep 16, 2012 at 9:12 AM MDT

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo.- The 37th Annual Snowmass Village Balloon Festival began Friday. It's one of the best known balloon festivals in the country. Paired with the Balloon Festival on Saturday was the Snowmass Village Wine Festival.

Bruce Wood, who called himself the "Balloonmeister" of the event, said, "Get out here with Mother Nature and enjoy the scenery. Put some fabric against Mother Nature's backdrop."

Mark Whiting, who attended both festivals, said, "Snowmass is not a destination for a bucket list. Snowmass is a destination to come back to over and over and over."

The community woke up before the sunrise on Saturday for the second day of the Snowmass Village Balloon Festival.

Patrick Carter, a balloon pilot from Colorado Springs, said, "We started coming here the first year in 1976. Of course, I was only 13."

"Is it important to keep doing it? No, it's fun to keep doing it. We do it because we love it," Wood said.

Later in the day on Saturday, people were able to go down the street for the Snowmass Village Wine Festival.

Barbara Bakios-Wickes, a wine and festival coordinator, said, "We currently have 31 wine tables here with wines represented from all over the world."

Locals say they look forward to giving outsiders a taste of their town every year.

"It's one of the vendors' favorite events every year, which tells you something, too. They like coming."

Shari Canon, who went to both events, said, "It's incredible. I'm one of those first-timers on many levels. Not only flying a balloon but coming down to Snowmass. It's lovely, it's gorgeous."

Those who come back every year say Snowmass Village is the perfect venue for these events.

Wood said, "It's one of the greatest places to fly, really in the world. I've got a pilot that flies for us commercially and of all the places he's ever been flying he says this is by far the most spectacular."

Locals say there's no better way to toast summer goodbye and welcome in the winter.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KREX - News, Weather, Sports for Grand Junction | Montrose | Glenwood Springs - Coverage You Can Count On and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Most Popular
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
News Channel 5 Weather