28th Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo

 July 12-13, 2008

Photo courtesy of Chris Selby/Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association. 

Steamboat’s most colorful weekend! Join us for this spectacular early-morning affair with over 40 hot air balloons rising softly from the mist and drifting over the valley. The splash of color pitted against Steamboat’s grassy mountains makes the rodeo popular with photographers, producing numerous shots that are duplicated around town. The rodeo sets each balloonist’s piloting skill against pre-designated obstacles.

Later make your way over to West Lincoln Park for Steamboat’s biggest arts and crafts festival. Art in the Park on Saturday is from 9-5pm and Sunday 9-4pm.
Launch Field is at Bald Eagle Lake, approximately 9/10 of a mile south of Walton Creek Road on Highway 40. The physical address is: 35565 South Highway 40.

Everyone is encouraged to join us on the launch field to take pictures and watch the pilots prepare for take off! There will be vendors selling souvenirs, coffee and breakfast items on the launch field so plan to come on down and check out the balloon inflating.

Because of the event’s convenient location on the edge of town we encourage spectators walk, ride their bikes or take the shuttle from the hotel or lodge.

Parking is FREE for the Saturday and Sunday morning balloon events at the Meadows parking lot on Pine Grove Road. Transporation from the Meadows Lot to the event is also FREE. There is NO PUBLIC PARKING at the event.
Preliminary Weekend Schedule: (subject to change)

Friday, July 11, 2008
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.   Pilot Check-In at the Steamboat Springs Airport (no public access)
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.   Pilot Sponsor BBQ at the Steamboat Springs Airport (no public access)
7:30 p.m.   Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series at Romick Arena in downtown Steamboat Springs
 
Saturday, July 12, 2008
6:00 a.m.   Launch Field opens to the Public and transportation begins from the Meadows parking Lot
7:00 a.m.   Balloon Inflation
7:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.   Hot Air Balloon Rodeo presented by Bank of the West – Join us at Ed MacArthur’s Bald Eagle Lake to watch over 40 balloons take off over the Yampa Valley.
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.   34th Annual Art in the Park at the West Liuncoln Park
7:30 p.m. – Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series at Romick Arena in downtown Steamboat Springs
 
Sunday, July 13, 2008
6:00 a.m.   Launch Field opens to the Public and transportation begins from the Meadows parking Lot
7:00 a.m.   Balloon Inflation
7:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.   Hot Air Balloon Rodeo presented by Bank of the West – Join us at Ed MacArthur’s Bald Eagle Lake to watch over 40 balloons take off over the Yampa Valley.
8:00 a.m. – 29th Annual Mountain Madness Half Marathon and 10K (part of the Steamboat Springs Running Series)
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – 34th Annual Art in the Park at the West Lincoln Park

For information on real estate in Steamboat Springs, call me at your convenience.
970-819-0755 
 

105th Cowboy Roundup Days and 4th of July Celebration

For over 100 years Steamboat has celebrated Independence Day with a rodeo. Cowboys’ Roundup Days celebrates the Western Heritage native to the Yampa Valley with events for the entire family. On Friday July 4th, kick back in boots at several community events including, a community all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, children’s activities, concerts, the annual parade down Lincoln Avenue rodeo, and fireworks.

Sunday morning begins with a real cattle drive where local ranchers will drive 100 pair of cattle from their ranch down Lincoln Avenue to Romick Arena. These cattle will then play a part in the Ranch Horse Competition and Ranch Rodeo where local ranches will compete against one another.  This is one of my all time favorites.

Friday, July 4th:
6 – 10 a.m. Pancake Breakfast at the Community Center
9:30 a.m. 17th Annual Steamboat Sprint, part of the Steamboat Springs Running Series
10:00 a.m. First National Bank of Steamboat Springs Fourth of July Parade
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Art on the Mountain in Gondola Square
11:30 a.m. Pioneer Day Block Party with Strings in the Mountains free concert at the Tread of Pioneers Museum
7:00 p.m. Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series at Romick Arena
 ** Fourth of July Fireworks display at dark following the end of the rodeo **

Saturday, July 5th:
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Old Town Farmers’ Market, at the courthouse
7:30 p.m. Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo at Romick Arena

Sunday, July 6th:
10:00 a.m. Saddleback Ranch cattle drive down Lincoln Avenue
1:00 p.m. Cow Town Ranch Tours, www.communityagalliance.org
1:00 p.m. Ranch Horse Competition at the Romick Arena (free admission)
5:00 p.m. Mountain Valley Bank Ranch Rodeo at Romick Arena (free rodeo)
Additional Details:
Cattle Drive:  Head downtown on Sunday, July 6th at 10am, to watch local cowboys routing 110 pair of cattle down Lincoln Avenue. In honor of more than 100 years of Western Heritage, this traditional event retraces the steps down Steamboat Springs’ main street, which is as wide today as it was back in the late 1800s when cattle drives through town were more common.

Cow Town Ranch Tours:  Visit local working ranches and tour our cultural countryside with local historians during the ranch tour. Learn about the rich ranching heritage of Routt County and its residents with hands on experiences. Each tour will be different, determined by the location and your tour guides, and may include stops at cattle, sheep, horse, bison and elk ranches throughout the County. The tour takes place from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., pick up and completion location to be determined. Transportation will be provided by Alpine Taxi of Steamboat Springs. Advance Registration is required through Steamboat Central Reservations: 1-800-922-2722 or 970-879-0740. The cost is $50 for adults, $10 for kids 7-12, free for kids 0-6. This includes transportation, guides, information materials and Routt-Beer Floats. The opportunity to view and purchase locally made products will be available during each tour. Heritage Ranch Tours are sponsored by the Community Agriculture Alliance, Historic Routt County and Routt County Extension.  http://steamboatchamber.blogspot.com/2007/09/2008-cow-town-ranch-tours.html

On Wednesday, July 4th, enjoy traditional Independence Day events, including the community pancake breakfast, July 4th Parade, and a block party, celebrate the nation’s freedom with Colorado Western flare. The day’s events will culminate with a rodeo at Romick Arena and the grand finale of fireworks at Howelsen Hill (immediately following the rodeo).

The Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo continues its Independence Day tradition with evening rodeo all weekend long. For more details, go to http://www.steamboatprorodeo.com/

For information on real estate in Steamboat Springs, call me at your convenience.
970-819-0755 

Strings Music Festival

Strings Music Festival is a nationally recognized, award-winning music festival in the summer.  Performances begin June 24th and run through August 22, 2008. 

The mission of the Festival is to present innovative programs of distinctive classical and popular contemporary music in an intimate and friendly setting to audiences of all ages, enhancing the cultural, educational and entertainment experiences of the community of Northwest Colorado and its visitors.

Throughout the summer, enjoy chamber music concerts every Wednesday and Saturday evenings, the Different Tempo Series including jazz, country, and bluegrass on Fridays, Youth and Family Concerts every Tuesday, and free Music on the Green performances at the Yampa River Botanic Park every Thursday.

Artists include Grammy winners and nominees, major competition winners and principal players from the most renowned orchestras and international soloists.
After two years of planning, the Strings Music Pavilion opens June 28th. The intimate 540-seat Pavilion was designed to be reminiscent of a musical instrument, with a unique interior and superior sound quality.  The new pavillon overlooks breathtaking vistas of Mt. Werner, Emerald Mountain and the beautiful Yampa Valley, making it an ideal venue to hear world-class music.
 

For more information and a full schedule of performances, check out www.stringsinthemountains.com

20th Annual Rocky Mountain Ford Mustang Roundup

Are you a classic car lover?  If you like Ford Mustangs, check out this Steamboat Father’s Day tradition.  More than 400 Mustang owners from Rocky Mountain Mustang clubs will convene in  Steamboat for activities, including a timed event on Friday, June 13, 2008 and a “Show and Shine” on Lincoln Avenue on Saturday, June 14, 2008.

Spectators are welcome at the Meadows parking lot located at the corner of Mt. Werner Road and Pine Grove Road for Friday’s Autocross.  Over 180 Ford Mustangs compete in this timed event. Admission is free.

Saturday’s Show n’ Shine is a car lovers dream. Over 450 Ford Mustangs are lined up and down Lincoln Avenue for display. Admission is free and everyone’s welcome.

Weekend Schedule:

Thursday, June 12: Scenic Mountain Tour.

Friday, June 13: 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Autocross at the Meadows Parking lot.

Saturday, June 14: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Show n’ Shine on Lincoln Avenue downtown
Steamboat Springs.

For more information go to the Rocky Mountain Mustang Roundup web site at www.rmmr.org.

Edgemont produces $45 million day for Atira Group

By Tom Ross – The Steamboat Pilot & Today
Atira Group offices on Oak Street in downtown Steamboat Springs was decidedly upbeat this week after the developers of the slopeside Edgemont condominiums tied up $45 million in sales at their May 30 selection event. Atira was expecting to go to hard contract on 22 of 42 condominium homes in the initial release of Edgemont Ridge on Friday at the end of a seven-day recision period. The average sale price was more than $2 million.

“In the last nine to 12 months, nobody has been able to hit all the hurdles we have to move real estate like this,” Simon said. “We are aware of two or three projects that are on hold in Vail.”

The developers are confident their contracts will stick. Buyers were required to supply a hard deposit representing 10 percent of the purchase price of their condominiums. A three-bedroom plus den unit at The Edgemont was priced between $2.5 million and $3 million.

“There were people who wrote $300,000 and $400,000 checks,” Simon said.  Those buyers will be asked to provide another 10 percent part-way through the construction process.

Sales manager Mark Murrell promised to treat the 22 buyers like royalty during the construction process. “Those 22 are our best friends,” Murrell said. “They were the first in. They are going to be treated like kings and queens when they visit.”

Simon said his company is working hard to establish itself as a brand in Steamboat Springs, and the initial buyers offer the potential of becoming ambassadors for Atira’s future projects. In addition to the multiple phases of The Edgemont, they will redevelop the Thunderhead Lodge and Ski Time Square in the next few years.  “We have a long ways to go,” Simon said. “This is the first of 10 buildings. We have a phenomenal amount of real estate to sell in the next five to seven years. We can’t afford to trip up here.”
Murrell said the buyers came from all across the United States and no two came from the same state.

However, most of them already were Steamboat loyalists who had been coming here for years.
“They’ve been waiting for this location,” he said.

Murrell said the local real estate community played a key role in bringing buyers to The Edgemont.

Longtime Steamboat Realtor/developer Joe Brennan was the only Realtor with a priority for his clients. He earned that status by virtue of having taken the original Bear Claw III proposal through the city planning process. That project was sold and morphed into Edgemont.

Peggy Wolfe of RE/MAX Steamboat brought one of the 22 buyers to The Edgemont selection event. “After showing him several properties, it became clear that Edgemont was what he wanted,” Wolfe said. The Texas man’s family has been visiting Steamboat for 15 years. Wolfe had been working with him for about a year. “He specifically wanted ski-in, ski-out, and there aren’t very many of them out there, and some of those are old,” she said. Wolfe said her perception is that the development team at Atira understands that at their price point, buyers expect a high-level service, and they are prepared to deliver it.

Like Wolfe, Kathy Steinberg of Prudential Steamboat Realty said the two buyers she brought to Edgemont were insistent on a ski-in, ski-out location. “It was because of Edgemont’s premier location,” Steinberg said. “If they could not have acquired the units they wanted, they would have backed out. It was part luck and part my staying on top of it to get them in there.”

Wolfe said she anticipates that One Steamboat Place, not far from Edgemont, also will deliver luxurious condominium homes and a high level of service. The two projects can be differentiated by location, she said. One Steamboat Place is in the midst of activity at the ski area base, she said. Her clients wanted to be able to come home to a peaceful location after a day of skiing. Edgemont, just a little farther up the hill, can deliver that quality, she said.

Edgemont offers condominiums from one to two and three bedrooms, plus some three-bedroom plus den units that comprise more than 1,800 square feet.

Murrell said he was pleased with the mix among the 22 units that were placed under contract. They include seven of 14 available two-bedrooms, 10 of 17 three-bedrooms, three of four three-plus bedrooms and one of four single-bedroom units.

A quick glance at the reservation schematic reveals that the condominiums facing the ski slopes on the north side of the building were the most sought after. Of seven unclaimed units on that side of Edgemont Ridge, five are two-bedroom units and two are the larger three-plus bedrooms.
However, Murrell said most of the buyers for the nine units placed under contract on the south side were not settling for second best. Most of them would not change sides of the building fo r anything, he said. Buyers on the two sides are different sets of people, Murrell said. Those who contracted to purchase on the south side, he said, valued the sunny winter exposure and the long-distance views that extend to the Flat Tops more than 50 miles to the south. Those buyers also can see the Valley View ski trail out their windows, he added.

Steinberg said both of her buyers are Steamboat regulars who were well aware they were buying on the colder side of the building. She believes buyers on that side were more focused on the investment qualities of their units. “They thought that being slopeside was the key thing for investment,” she said. “And both are very sophisticated buyers.”

Simon said the initial success of Edgemont Ridge is encouragement to move on to the second phase of the project. They hope to advance the timetable relative to Edgemont Ridge and break ground on The Landing in April or May 2009.

Murrell said there were many more prospective buyers for Edgemont Ridge than the 22 who wrote checks, and he is hopeful that a number of them will take action in the future.