{"id":1312867,"date":"2019-07-27T00:12:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-27T06:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/carbondale-mountain-fair-celebrates-community-creativity-homecomings\/"},"modified":"2019-07-28T19:50:31","modified_gmt":"2019-07-29T01:50:31","slug":"carbondale-mountain-fair-celebrates-community-creativity-homecomings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/carbondale-mountain-fair-celebrates-community-creativity-homecomings\/","title":{"rendered":"Carbondale Mountain Fair celebrates community, creativity, homecomings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.8470588235294\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-984921-346\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3.jpg\" alt=\"Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Amy Kimberly gives the opening speech at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Amy Kimberly gives the opening speech at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-2.jpg\" alt=\"Amy Kimberly gives the opening speech at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Ute elder Roland McCook gives the opening speech at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Ute elder Roland McCook gives the opening speech at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-3.jpg\" alt=\"Ute elder Roland McCook gives the opening speech at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-4.jpg\" alt=\"Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-5.jpg\" alt=\"Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Sleepy Justice performs at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Sleepy Justice performs at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-6.jpg\" alt=\"Sleepy Justice performs at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-7.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-7.jpg\" alt=\"Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-8-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-8.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/MtnFair-gpi-072719-3-8.jpg\" alt=\"Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/carbondale-mountain-fair-celebrates-community-creativity-homecomings\/?#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/carbondale-mountain-fair-celebrates-community-creativity-homecomings\/?#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">There wasn\u2019t exactly a rainbow to mark the opening of the 48th Mountain Fair in Carbondale, but the sun did peek through the clouds despite rainstorms throughout the Valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The theme for this year is the Rainbow Connection, but the absence of rain in Carbondale\u2019s Sopris Park Friday afternoon was appreciated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe are so blessed here. It is torrentially raining everywhere but here. The magic of Mountain Fair is already upon us,\u201d Friday emcee Katrina Byars said to mark the beginning of the festivities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Actually, the festivities had already started \u2014 the famous drum circle kicked off 20 minutes early, then began again after a blessing from Ute elder Roland McCook.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe atmosphere here, and the way you feel here, reminds me of when my people gather for celebrations.\u201d McCook said. \u201cThe feeling of togetherness, family, everything here is the way we feel when we give our celebrations,\u201d McCook said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Mountain Fair is a beloved tradition for locals, especially on Friday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe meet people we knew in the \u201980s. When they come back to visit, they like to come to Mountain Fair because they know everybody is in town,\u201d Kyra Whalen said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Whalen said she moved to Carbondale in 1978, and didn\u2019t attend Mountain Fair for the first few years. But since she started, she hasn\u2019t stopped participating.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over the years, some things have changed, she said. There are more local bands, and more activities geared toward children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI think it\u2019s just a great place where everybody comes, sits down, drinks and visits, sees everybody else\u2019s kids and grandkids. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s changed that much, we still have everything that brought us here,\u201d Whalen said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">One person who returns to Carbondale each year for the Mountain Fair is Tammy Mathias, who makes sure here mother, Earlene, participates in the drum circle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s a really, really big deal. It\u2019s one of the neatest things in the whole valley,\u201d Mathias said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Mountain Fair this year is particularly important to Mathias, who now lives in Golden, because it would have been her parent\u2019s 62nd wedding anniversary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s a special time to remember my dad,\u201d Mathias said. Jack Mathias, a longtime Carbondale resident, died in June 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Along with the music, drinks, drum circles, acrobats, bounce castles and dunk tanks, Mountain Fair also has an impressive selection of tools and artwork by local and regional artisans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Some sell flowers, butterflies, beetle wings and porcupine quills encased in resin and hung on earrings and necklaces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Many painters and potters sell their work, and all around the park are tents selling wood carved utensils, birdhouses and baskets, hand-forged cutlery and homemade brooms, leather holsters and cactus terrariums in hanging fishbowls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In addition to the Rainbow Connection theme, supporting LGBTQ community, this year\u2019s Mountain Fair also recognized the late Thomas Lawley, fair director from 1985 to 2002, who died earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Bill Dunn of Carbondale also believes Mountain Fair is the best event that happens all year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s such a pleasant place to be on a weekend. The music is good, the people are happy, and there\u2019s no trouble,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cEveryone is nice, and polite, and relaxed, for the most part. And the ones that aren\u2019t you just ignore,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis is the place to be. Because there is just no other place quite like this place, so this has got to be the place to be,\u201d McCook said in his opening blessing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Before he returned to his place in the drum circle, McCook asked for a moment of silence for those who inhabited the valley in years past; both native peoples and as pioneers who settled in the region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cYou can hear the drums, and the mountains have been lacking those drums for all these years. To hear those drums echoing off those mountains, the mountains themselves listening to you laugh and giggle, just as my people did when they were here many years ago,\u201d McCook said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:tphippen@postindependent.com\">tphippen@postindependent.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/local\/carbondale-mountain-fair-celebrates-community-creativity-homecomings\/?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent Scenes from the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle.Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent Amy Kimberly gives the opening speech at the 48th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on Friday evening.Chelsea Self [&hellip;]<\/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-1312867","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-21 09:57:43","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\/1312867","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=1312867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1312867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1312901,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1312867\/revisions\/1312901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1312867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1312867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1312867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}