Another "Cool" Weekend

If your brain is starting to melt in Grand Junction, the Colorado Front Range, Texas, Oklahoma or just about anywhere else, Gunnison, Colorado, is the COOL place be!  Not only are our tempteratures pleasant, we have a weekend of great activities for you to enjoy. 

Friday and Saturday heralds the First Annual Gunny Grass Bluegrass Festival.  The Festival is being held at the I-Bar Ranch, located just on the eastern edge of the City.  The venue offers on-site camping, ample crowd capacity, a stunning setting, and most improtant - "Hot" Colorado and National Bluebrass Bands - in this fantastic COOL setting.  If you're not into camping, Gunnison offers a wide variety of lodging availablity.  For more information about the festival, go to http://ibarranch.com/gunnygrass/ 

Farmers' Market

Saturday morning, after grabbing your favorite espresso or latte and a bagel at one of the locally-owned coffe shops, head on downtown for the Gunnison Farmers' Market.  There's fresh produce, delicious and wholesome baked goods, Western Slope Colorado wines, eclectic crafts, 5-minute massages, food, live music and congenial company. The Market happens every Summer Saturday starting at 9:30am at the corner of North Main Street and East Virginia Avenue.


Mountain biking with
the Wildflowers



Saturday afternoon experience why Gunnison is the  "BaseCamp of the Rocky Mountains"  If you want to be in the beautiful outdoors, Gunnison provides just about everything you can imagine in premier outdoor recreation opportunities, from the largest lake in Colorado (Blue Mesa Reservoir) to the granite cliffs-climbing routes of Taylor Canyon to the challenging and scenic singletracks of Hartman Rocks.  If cooling off is your primary objective, kayak or raft on the Gunnison or Taylor Rivers.  You can even drag a fishing line behind your craft.



Kayak the Gunnison



After a delicious dinner at one of Gunnison's fine restaurants, discover that Saturday night is the start of the Summer Astronomy Program Series at the Gunnison Valley Observatory, located south of Gunnison across from the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area.  Saturday, June 29th is "Family Night - Astronomy 101".  Dr. Suzanne Taylor of Western State Colorado University will talk about the constellations of the summer night sky.  The www.gunnisonobservatory.org for details. 

Gunnison Valley Observatory

Observatory opens at dark (you can't see the stars until then :-) No reservations are required and there is a small donation entry fee.  Go to

On Sunday mornng, after having a hearty breakfast at one of Gunnison's fine cafes or restaurants and then playing in the great Gunnison outdoors, finish up the weekend by kicking back, relaxing and listening to the "Sundays @ 6" outdoor live-music concert at Legion Park presented by the Gunnison Arts Center.  By the end of the weekend, you will be cooled off and relaxed!