Roamin' the Range – Sept. 2013

There’s a hint of coolness in the air and school bells are ringing. There’s no shortage of things to do along the Front Range. It may be hard to choose, because there’s no way to do them all!

Water! photography exhibition

Water is the essence of all life but is becoming a scarce resource. At The Center for Fine Art Photography, 400 N. College Ave. in Fort Collins, this visually stunning entity is explored in its many forms and uses: liquid, clouds, steam, snow and ice, to calm us, inspire us, and shape our landscape. The artists displayed in Water! highlight its symbolic, coveted, transformational, and political properties. Come explore water and its complexity.

Water! will be on exhibit in the Center’s Main Gallery and online at c4fap.org Aug. 30 to Sept. 28. Please join the Center and artists from across the globe 6-9 p.m. Sept. 6 at the main gallery, 400 N. College Ave., for an evening of art, inspiration, and community. This exhibition is made possible thanks to the generous support of the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund Grant and a Colorado Creates Grant. For more information about the Center, including information on workshops, membership and exhibitions, please visit the website at c4fap.org or call 970-224-1010.

18th Biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition at Colorado State University

The 18th biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition hosted by the Department of Art at Colorado State University features works of top poster artists and designers worldwide. Now in its 34th year, the biennial event is the only exhibition of its kind in the United States. The main exhibition will open Sept. 13 and run through Oct. 31 in the Clara Hatton Gallery in the Visual Arts Building located on the main CSU campus. The exhibition will open with a public reception at 7 p.m. and poster sale from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13 in the Hatton Gallery. Exhibition winners will be announced during the reception by the exhibition’s honor laureate. A limited number of exhibition posters and full-color catalogs will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis. General gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Featuring works of 80 artists from 32 countries, including top international entrants and many new faces, the 18th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition – or CIIPE –showcases examples of global visual communication to an American audience, and promotes international understanding and dialogue through the graphic arts. The unique exhibition provides CSU students and the community first hand-exposure to a diverse presentation of prevailing social, cultural, and commercial perspectives.
This year’s honoree is Danish artist Gitte Kath. The honor laureate lecture will take place at 5 p.m. Sept. 11 in the Griffin Concert Hall at the University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St., followed by an opening reception at the University Art Museum. Kath’s work will be highlighted at the museum from Sept. 11 to Dec. 20. All events and exhibitions are free and open to the public. Info: ucacolostate.edu or 970-491-3603

Poudre Landmarks Foundation to host historic homes tour

Eight “timeless treasures” in Fort Collins will be open to historic home tour visitors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. The event will include a silent auction and a catered “landmark luncheon” between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the 1930 Hunter House on Remington Street in Fort Collins. Luncheon guests will enjoy live music from the 1920s and models in period costumes will circulate during the event. Tickets for the tour are $20 in advance, $25 on tour day. Landmark luncheon tickets are $25 and are sold only in advance. Tickets available online through PayPal at www.poudrelandmarks.org or at the following merchants: Ace Hardware, 1001 E. Harmony Rd., The Cupboard, 152 S. College Ave., Downtown Ace Hardware, 227 S. College Ave., Perennial Garden/Sense of Place, 154 N. College Ave. and Avery House, 328 W. Mountain Ave. (open 1-4 p.m. Sat. and Sun.) The Historic Homes Tour is the primary annual fundraising event for Poudre Landmarks Foundation whose mission is to preserve, restore, protect and interpret the architectural and cultural heritage of the Fort Collins area. The organization manages the Avery House Historic District and the 1882-83 Fort Collins Water Works.

Vintage baseball game at Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum

The Wellington Buzzards and the Denver Blue Stockings will “play ball” at 1 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Bee Family Farm, 4320 East County Road 58 in Fort Collins. The Denver team is part of the Colorado Vintage Baseball Association, a non-profit dedicated to preservation of the history of 19th century baseball in Colorado. More important than the outcome of the game is education of the public through living history performances. Late 1800s rules and terms will be used during the game. Players are referred to as ballists, batters are strikers, pitches are hurls and spectators are cranks. Baseball became popular after the Civil War and by 1866 Denver had organized teams. For more history visit cvbba.com. Entry fee: $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60+, $3 for children 3-12 and free for children under 3. The fun includes antique cars, concessions, children’s activities and a chance to learn about the farm. Bring your own picnic. For more information and directions call 970-482-9168 or visit beefamilyfarm.org.

Colorado Mountain Dog Festival

Leash up your dog and head to Beaver Meadows Resort in Red Feather Lakes for the Colorado Mountain Dog Festival sponsored by Canine Massage of the Rockies for the benefit of KRFC radio and volunteer fire departments in the Red Feather area, Sept. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Dogs will have a chance to swim in the lakes, run or hike on mountain trails with their owners, and even bob for hot dogs! Their people will have just as much fun hiking, listening to live music, enjoying food from an array of area restaurants, and taking part in a free game of Frisbee golf. Cindy Hirschfeld, author of Canine Colorado will talk about outdoor adventures with dogs and sign books. Kids can decorate dog biscuits and there’s a puppy kissing booth. Students from Red Feather, Livermore and Stove Prairie Schools are creating posters to be judged by attendees. The winner will receive $50. More than 30 canine related vendors will include products, rescue groups, veterinarians who will offer heath checks, community action and school groups. Speakers on canine wellness will address topics such as massage, acupuncture, nutrition and physical therapy. There will be agility demonstrations and search and rescue dogs to meet including Skid the official festival dog. Watercolor artist Patsy Berry will be at the festival. All participants receive a fee “schwag bag” with magazines, coupons and dog biscuits. Register ahead of time at active.com. Discounted fee until Sept. 1. For more information go to k9massagerockies or check out and “like” the Colorado Mountain Dog Festival Facebook page.

Yampa Valley Crane Festival

Enjoy four days of free events celebrating magnificent sandhill cranes at the second annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival Sept. 6-9 in Steamboat Springs and Hayden. Crane viewing sessions, expert speakers, films, family activities, a crane art show are all free and open to the public. Festival organizer Nancy Merrill describes the event as “a chance to learn more about crane science, explore the art that these magnificent birds inspire and get out on the ground to enjoy their company.” The festival evolved from a group of enthusiastic birders and nature lovers that gathered each fall at a small ranch near Hayden to watch the cranes forage for food, dance in the fields and practice flying in anticipation of their grand migration south to warmer wintering territory. The sights and sounds inspired an event in which locals and tourists could gather to learn about the cranes and celebrate their presence in Northwest Colorado. The festival is sponsored by the Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition with help from partners Yampa Valley Land Trust, Bud Werner Memorial Library, The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, USDA Forest Service and Yampatika. “Cranes evoke strong emotions in humans and enrich our lives by their presence. This festival will inspire people to continue protecting this amazing creature and its habitat,” said Barbara Hughes, co-founder of the Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition. See www.coloradocranges.org for a schedule of events.

Western History and Culture Day and Greenhorn Chili Cook-off

Here’s a great opportunity to get a taste of pioneer life. Parents, kids, grandkids welcome! The first annual Western History and Culture Day and Greenhorn Chili Cook-off will be held at the Virginia Dale Stage Station, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 14. The purpose of the day is to introduce youngsters and their families to life in the 1860s. The focus will be on how the stage lines, railroads and telegraph helped settlers to come to and move about the West. Demonstrations, some interactive, will include quilting, weaving, spinning, soap making, log chinking, square dancing and horse care. Ray Stokes from the National Freight Wagon and Stagecoach Association will display his chuckwagon and cowboy teepees and demonstrate cowboy cooking. Noted local author and historian, Barbara Fleming, will speak about the life of a pioneer family and sign her new book, Legendary Locals of Fort Collins. There will also be talks on the Western Union Company, the Union Pacific Railroad and stagecoach construction. The winner of a 5th grade essay contest entitled “What Abraham Lincoln’s life was like when he was my age,” will be announced. The winner will read his/her essay and receive a prize. The Greenhorn Chili Cook-off is eagerly anticipated. Lunch can be purchased. The day will conclude with an old-fashioned ice cream social. This event is free but donations are welcome to assist in restoration of the Virginia Dale Stage Station, built in 1862 by the infamous Jack Slade. Now 151 years old, it is the last stage station in its original location on the Overland Trail in Colorado. Restoration work began in 2012 and continues today. Register for this event by Sept. 7 at vdcc.vd.co@wildblue, visit a Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/vdStageStation or call Marcie Wells at 970-568-7646. More info. at virginiadalecommunityclub.org.