Crested Butte’s Flauschink, Pond Skim & Live Music to Wrap Up Ski Season
Flush out winter & welcome spring at Crested Butte. April 4th through the 8th is the last weekend of ski and snowboard season for Crested Butte and they do not let these days pass by quietly! “Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town,” Crested Butte, where the expected rarely happens will be flushing out winter and welcoming spring at the annual Flauschink, April 4 – 8, and on closing weekend at Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
44th Annual Flauschink, April 4 – 8
• Pre-Flauschink festivities begin at Talk of the Town on Wednesday, April 4 with a 7 p.m. slide show at the Talk of the Town by Dr. Duane Vandenbusche, a Western State College (WSC) history professor and authority on Gunnison County and Colorado history. A Flauschink tale also will be told by George Sibley, founder of Flauschink and a retired WSC professor. The cost is $4 with a Flauschink button and $7 without a button.
• Flauschink officially kicks off with a coronation ball held on Friday, April 6 at 9 p.m. to crown the new king and queen and enjoy an evening of polka dancing (a Crested Butte tradition) with the Pete Dunda Polka Band at The Eldo. The cost usually is $5 with a button and $8 without a button.
• The king and queen of Flauschink typically have three things in common: they are involved in the community, enjoy longtime resident status, and are held in high esteem by other locals. A parade on Saturday, April 7, honors the king and queen as they proudly raise scepters made from toilet plungers (with a dual function as beverage holders), gives “Has-Been” royalty the chance to wear their crowns and ride on a float again, and provides a reason to rain down fun on Elk Avenue, Crested Butte’s historic business district. The parade will begin at 5 p.m.
• On Sunday, April 8, the festival and ski season will draw to a fitting close with the Flauschink king and queen holding court on the slopes at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Skiers and snowboarders pass by Flauschink Hill, above the Uley’s Cabin deck, to toast royalty.
Flauschink buttons are sold for $3 at several local businesses in Crested Butte to raise money for the festival and to provide discounts on slide show and coronation ball tickets. Also view memorabilia in the Flauschink exhibit at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. For more information, call festival organizer and 1996 Flauschink Queen Michelle English at (970) 349-7348.
Closing Weekend Fun at Crested Butte Mountain Resort
During the ski area’s Moonlight Snowshoe Tours on April 6, enjoy the thrill of snowshoeing moonlit mountain trails after being transported by a snowcat. The cost is $75 per person. For information and reservations, call (970) 349-4554 or visit www.skicb.com.
The last Saturday of the season means filling up a “pond” at the ski base to watch costumed skiers and boarders attempt to cross the water without crashing or sinking. Fun to participate in, but more fun to watch! The pond skim runs from 3:30 – 5 p.m. (onsite registration on the Butte 66 deck), followed by après ski music featuring local band Buntron Smith at Butte 66.
Closing day festivities on April 8 will start off with a noon Easter egg hunt in the Mountaineer Square courtyard, sponsored by the Mt. Crested Butte Town Center Community Association. Two bands, Mine Control and the Bill Powers Trio, will play on the deck of mid-mountain Uley’s Cabin from noon to 6 p.m. For more information about closing weekend activities, visitwww.skicb.com.
Spring Deal
The “Hot Deal: Ski & Stay in Paradise” is available from March 26 – April 8, 2012. Choose from 19 properties in the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley starting at $62 per person, with packages priced to include one night of lodging for two adults per room and two adult lift tickets. Additional nights and lift tickets can be added. Go to www.paradisepackage.com.
~MtnView
Photo Credits:
Mt. Crested Butte: Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association
The Flauschink king and queen photo: Alex Fenlon
Uley’s Cabin: Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association
