So Much Fun!
If you didn’t go, you missed quite a show. The 10th Anniversary Crestone Music Festival lived up to its billing. Marvelous music, fancy food, lip lickin’ libations, fantastic fireworks, cool crafts, fabulous family fun and sizzlin’ sunshine were the order of the days. We sincerely hope you had an amazing time and we welcome feedback of all kinds.
Thanks
Our benefit concerts with Don Richmond were a tremendous success. Thanks to everyone who participated for your generosity and support. If you couldn't make the shows, please consider purchasing a CD of the event. The CD will be available this spring, but you can pre-order your copy by calling the CPI office at 719-256-4533.
Now What?
Tourism, unfortunately, is down all across the nation and we felt it too. We are fighting back the no-bucks blues ingenuity. We are pleased to take the friendly, faith- and fright-filled path of lowering our ticket prices for the 11th Annual Crestone Music Festival to be held August 7, 8 & 9, 2009. We lost one-third of our attendance in 2008 to the price of gas (about 1,000 folks). We need those folks back and figure more money for gas and a friendly approach is our best bet. For the first time, Sunday will be cheaper than Saturday and both will be going down in price. Stay tuned for up-dates and prices as we fit this into a new budget. Rest assured that we will maintain the quality and diversity that has been the norm throughout the years.
What Else?
What else can you do? Specifically, you can just flat-out slap a donation on the barrelhead! Donations can be made towards general operations or specifically to our school programs. All donations will be acknowledged with a tax-deductible receipt.
Why?
Why? What do we do anyway? CPI is a community service organization that creates a positive cultural, educational, and economic impact in Saguache County and the San Luis Valley by providing affordable access to quality performances representing a variety of traditions and cultures. We annually produce the Crestone Music Festival, now in it’s eleventh year. The festival is a multi-genre, multi-cultural, family friendly gathering that makes a huge economic and cultural impact to the community. CPI has also produced performances that are educational and cultural in the 14 area school districts for the last seven years. We subsidize the cost to the schools 50% to 100%. We are also a free consulting and technical assistance service to worthwhile community endeavors.
What's New?
We are greatly expanding our school programs to accommodate the sizable need and demand of our local schools. For seven years, we have been producing and subsidizing the cost of presenters to the 14 San Luis Valley area school districts and Boys and Girls Clubs with tremendous success. Over the years we have brought a huge myriad of culturally and educationally diverse presentations to thousands of students including: a portable planetarium, a robotics troupe, a falconer, Celtic music, Flamenco dance and music, Cuban music, marimba music, Taiko drums, African Kora, Bhutanese dance and music, didgeridoo, steel drums, Indian tabla and flute and Australian Bush poets. We are now working more closely with schools to complement current curricula and supply what they need and want for cultural and educational presentations. We have begun to work with other presenters such as Hazlerig Music House, Wildwood Sounds, Salida schools and the Alamosa Live Music Association to share presenters. We are also pursuing many more grants to fund this program. We usually are able to subsidize the cost 50 to 100 percent. With your help, we can do more! Keep checking our website for updates.
Thank you so much for any help you can send our way!
Testimonials...
from San Luis Valley schools:
CPI's performances have enhanced our students' education in ways that our regular curriculum cannot do. By exposing students to other cultures and artistic horizons, students gain new opportunities to expand not only their knowledge, but also their awareness of others different from themselves. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have these cultural opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable for our students. - Charles R. Warren, Superintendent, Moffat Consolidated School District #2
In our remote and rural community, CPI events are the only opportunity for our children to view professional artistic and environmental performances of this caliber and we rely heavily on CPI to support our arts education programming with these events. For some of our students it is the first opportunity they have to be an audience member for a dance or live music performance. - Kathryn Brady, Director, Crestone Charter School
Our student body always waits in anticipation for when our organization and CPI can arrange one of their outstanding performers that they have to offer. Their performances always have an educational value. Being located in a mountainous and remote area of Colorado, it is not always possible to bring the types of performances offered by their organization to a location like ours. The first and foremost trouble in bringing performances to our area is the monetary strain it has on our District. Therefore, we are very appreciative of their services. We are very fortunate to have an organization of this magnitude in our area! - John Stephens, Principal, Mountain Valley School Re-1
from past Crestone Music Festival attendees:
We have enjoyed the festival for two years, people are friendly, grounds are delightful, camping is good, and food and beer vendors are of a good quality. We attend many festivals nationwide and have found this is one of our favorites because of the diversity of the musical offerings ~ Charlie & Cathie Berry, Pagosa Springs, CO
Our favorite festival. We love the mix of music, and the generally great vibes ~ Fred, Evergreen, CO
The fireworks were a highlight. The attitudes of the people are the festival’s biggest asset. I didn't want it to end! ~ Jim Busse, South Fork, CO
It was so well done; it was a special experience for the four of us. We'll come back each year ~ Cindy Kleh, Fraser, CO
I had an AWESOME fun loving sweet communal time... loved the food, the day, the music, the ease and beauty of the day AND the weather MADE it. I honestly can't say I had a disappointment - Being a newcomer to Crestone, it was my first festival, and my first big day out! I loved it. The fireworks were great! ~ Ava Lowe, Crestone, CO
This was my first CrestFest. I was pleased with all aspects of the event. The reason I will return is the combined spirit of the people. For me, this is your biggest resource. Keep up the great work ~ Karl Manthei, Pagosa Springs, CO
We really enjoyed ourselves. Since we live in Texas, it is a real pleasure to be in the mountains, and we enjoy the outside. We were glad for the tents since we don't want too much sun and we were glad the rain only threatened. We hope to come again, and maybe convince friends to join us ~ Donna Lipschutz, TX
Highlights: The Sangre de Cristo mountain range, its ever changing beauty, the sunshine, the lightning storms, the rainbows, the music under mother natures umbrella ~ Janet, Longmont, CO
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