{"id":1311230,"date":"2019-06-10T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/inside-the-chamber-column-getting-ready-for-a-strawberry-days-homecoming\/"},"modified":"2019-06-10T21:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-06-11T03:00:00","slug":"inside-the-chamber-column-getting-ready-for-a-strawberry-days-homecoming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/inside-the-chamber-column-getting-ready-for-a-strawberry-days-homecoming\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Chamber column: Getting ready for a Strawberry Days homecoming"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Tara Harman<\/strong>
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\u201cOne of your primary responsibilities will be Strawberry Days.\u201d<\/p>\n

I heard these words when I applied for the VP of Special Events Coordinator position with the Glenwood Springs Chamber. And I tell you with humble admission, I only heard the words. I wasn\u2019t listening to the words. My first day on the job, I finally listened. And while processing my new role and responsibilities, \u201cWhat have you done? You\u2019re in too deep,\u201d may have flashed through my mind. (OK, definitely flash-flooded my mind).<\/p>\n

Now, 18 days from go-time, I\u2019m waist deep in all that is Strawberry Days and learning that it\u2019s not as easy as even my initial panic prepared me for. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019ve had some \u201coh, no problem\u201d moments, but also several \u201cyou\u2019ve got to be kidding me\u201d moments. For those of you who may not have tackled such a task, here\u2019s a heads up, planning a parade is not a walk in the park.<\/p>\n

One of my initial tasks, and possibly one of the most daunting, was determining this year\u2019s theme. During the process, I recalled the words of my husband, a long-time local. \u201cStrawberry Days is just one big high school reunion,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone comes home for Strawberry Days.\u201d It seemed fitting, therefore, to make this year\u2019s festival a celebration of what it means to come home \u2014 to family, to friends, to Glenwood.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve planned, liaised, and delegated over the past several months, I\u2019ve learned not only about the festival\u2019s history, but also about this amazing community. This town is home to individuals so generous with their time and their talent, people that care so deeply for the city in which they live, that I am in awe. This city has passion. I\u2019m Italian, I would know.<\/p>\n

Glenwood Springs has faced many changes and challenges over the years. But every time, as a community, as a team, we find ways to face the challenge together and find a solution. Yes, the city is growing and evolving, but no matter what, you can always feel the love. You can feel the spirit. This sense of family is one of the many reasons why we live in Glenwood Springs, and why so many come home to Glenwood Springs, to stay or to visit.<\/p>\n

Strawberry Days is the highlight of Glenwood Springs\u2019 year because it gives us a chance to really revel in and show off all that is unparalleled about our home. It is more than turkey legs and funnel cakes, more than beautiful art and great music, more even than pancakes and a parade. It\u2019s a showcase of our talents and camaraderie and an opportunity for generations of Glenwoodites to come together, catch up, and celebrate.<\/p>\n

Not least of these amazing locals that make this community, and our Strawberry Days, the unique and wonderful experiences that they are, the women of the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association have been an incredible team for me to be a part of this past year. The mental flash flood of that first day soon subsided as I was welcomed by their support, knowledge and encouragement. Now as I face this fully formed festival, I feel overwhelmingly grateful to them and to this town.<\/p>\n

So, Glenwood Springs, no matter where you reside today, dig through those dust-covered boxes. Throw on that vintage high school T-shirt. Message your old classmates. Tell your family it\u2019s time to come home. Paint your windows. Sport the black, red and white, and show us how much Glenwood spirit you have.<\/p>\n

The festival opens at Sayre (Strawberry) Park at noon Friday, June 21. Arts, crafts, food, drinks, parade, live music \u2026 you know the drill. So come home and share some memories, make some new ones while you\u2019re at it. And please, if you see Terry Wilson, give that man a high-five. Just because.<\/p>\n

Tara Harman is vice president of special events and programs for the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association.<\/p>\n

via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tara Harman \u201cOne of your primary responsibilities will be Strawberry Days.\u201d I heard these words when I applied for the VP of Special Events Coordinator position with the Glenwood Springs Chamber. And I tell you with humble admission, I only heard the words. I wasn\u2019t listening to the words. My first day on the job, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1311230","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-18 21:56:04","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1311230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311230\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1311230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1311230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1311230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}