Did you know there are many events in Crested Butte and Gunnison? See live music, take an art class, volunteer, play trivia, watch (or participate in) a ski or bike race, and more! Check this calendar to see what’s going on.

- This event has passed.
Lecture Series: Craig Childs
May 16, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
pay what you can
Welcoming celebrated writers, artists, and thinkers to engage our community in thoughtful dialogue in the Center’s stunning Steddy Theater. Discussion and reading with award-winning writer Craig Childs In partnership with Townie Books, the Center is thrilled to host acclaimed writer Craig Childs. Childs has published more than a dozen critically acclaimed books, including The Secret Knowledge of Water, Atlas of a Lost World, and his most recent Virga & Bone. He is a contributing editor at Adventure Journal Quarterly and his work has appeared in the Atlantic, New York Times, and Los Angeles Times. He lives in southwest Colorado. Rock art is created to communicate, to speak to future generations—or to gods, spirits, or ancestors. It has power that words from the mouth don’t carry. In Tracing Time, writer and adventurer Craig Childs sits with that power, bearing witness to the rock art of the Colorado Plateau. He speaks to elders, scholars, and friends deeply familiar with the canyons, caves, and cliffs of the desert Southwest. With each depiction in stone, he asks: How does this fit in with others around it, rock art fifty miles away, a hundred, a thousand? What have you seen before that is similar? What stories have you heard? A simple bit of rock art becomes greater than one small note pulled from a song. The whole desert begins to sing. Arranged by rock art motifs—handprints, floating people, spirals, birth—Tracing Time sets these ancient communications in context, each one a portal to the open mouth of time. With a spirit of generosity, humility, and love of the arid, intricate landscapes of the desert Southwest, Childs invites readers to look and listen deeply.
Gunnison Valley is also host to several beloved annual events. A classic winter event is The Alley Loop, a Nordic ski race that doubles as a costume contest. In fall, Mt. Crested Butte hosts the famous Chili and Beer Festival. Every summer in Gunnison, a crowd gathers to watch America’s fourth-oldest rodeo, Cattlemen’s Days. There are also festivals in Crested Butte that celebrate local art, music, wildflowers, and more. Attending an annual event is a good way to connect with the culture of the Gunnison Valley. You might even create a new tradition for you and your family and friends!