BIG Weekend Ahead

There's a lot to do in the Gunnison Valley this weekend!  Friday night, start off the Memorial Day Holiday weekend by visiting one of Gunnison's great restaurants, taverns, or brew pub. 

Catchin' a Fish at the Kids Derby

Saturday morning, start with coffee at one of the great locally-owned coffee houses.  then starting at 10am on Saturday morning, May 26th, take the kids over to Jorgensen Park for the Annual Kid's Fishing Derby and Outdoor Recreation Event.  It's free!  Representatives from the Forest Service, National Park Service, Elks Foundation, Gunnison Kiwanis, Bureau of Land Management, the Colorado Division of Parks & Wildlife, Wild Turkey Federation, Trout Unlimited and many, many more will be on hand to teach the kids about outdoor recreation.  Free fishing poles will be available for the kids to try out their luck in recently-stocked Pac-Man Pond.  A free lunch, grilled by Amerigas, will be available as well. 

Also in Jorgensen Park will be the Gunnison  Chamber-sponsored Outdoor Adventure Expo.  A variety of Recreation and Sports Vendors will have display booths and seminars on all sorts of outdoor recreation.  The Expo runs until 3pm. 
Saturday morning signals the start of the RAGE IN THE SAGE 2012 Events.  A shotgun start at 9am, will see 350 mountain bike riders race from Main and Virginia on their way west on Highway 50 to Hartman Rocks.  This race is the Half-Growler, a 32 mile, mountain bike race around the challenging trails of Hartman Rocks.  The awards ceremony for the Half-Growler Race will be at 3pm at the IOOF Park.  Even if you're not a mountain bike rider, head over to the IOOF Park from Noon to 5pm and visit the food vendors, beer garden (if you're 21 or over and can prove it) and listen to the music.  Also on Saturday, back out of Hartman Rocks starting at 1pm is the KEEN "Rippin Chix" Bike Camp.

Starting Line of the Gunnison Growler Race

Rage in the Sage continues on Sunday morning at 7am with the shotgun start of the Full Growler, 64-mile mountain bike race.  The riders will again start at Main St. and Virginia Aven. and once again head out to Hartman Rocks.  The Full Growler awards ceremony will start at 5:15pm at the IOOF Park in downtown Gunnison.  Food vendors, a beer garden and live music will also be available Sunday afternoon at  IOOF Park starting at Noon.
The Gran Fondo Bike Ride to Crested Butte starts at 7:30am on Sunday following the Full Growler start.  Riders will cycle north on Highway 135 to Crested Butte and back.  The Gran Fondo is a fundraiser for Gunnison Country Partners. 
Rounding out the Rage in the Sage Events is the WSC Cross-Country and Track and Field Teams- sponsored Sage Burner Running Race at Hartman Rocks.  Lace up your running shoes and tackle the 25k or 50k running race.  The races start at 7am at the Hartman Rocks base area.  For more information on any of the Rage in the Sage events go to http://www.gunnisontrails.com/ and click on "Races" then the  "The Original Growler" line. 
After all of the racing on Sunday - head over to the Gunnison Arts Center on the southeast corner of Main and Tomichi and listen to the live bluegrass-rock n roll music of "Effrum the Bear".  The music starts at 8pm.  Tickets are $10.00.  For more information go to http://www.gunnisonartscenter.org/ 
Also featured this weekend, many Gunnison businesses will be hosting their annual Memorial Day sidewalk sales.  Go shopping Saturday, Sunday AND Monday for great gifts, clothing and fun items.
And...you can always fish or boat at the lake or fly fish on the river, water ski, wake board or sail at Blue Mesa, kayak the Taylor or Gunnison to the Whitewater Park, raft, hike the in-town or backcountry trails, motorcycle, four-wheel, check out and photograph the wildlife, and just plain enjoy Gunnison - Base Camp to the Rocky Mountains!
Have a safe and fun Gunnison weekend!