Saturday, April 2, 2011

Crested Butte's 43rd Annual Flauschink Flushes Out Winter and Welcomes Spring

Crested Butte, CO - This last weekend of the ski and snowboard season isn't a quiet occasion in Crested Butte, as locals and visitors will be flushing out winter and welcoming spring at the 43rd annual Flauschink through this Sunday.












Pre-Flauschink festivities begin tonight at Talk of the Town with a 7 p.m. slide show hosted by Dr. Duane Vandenbusche, a Western State College (WSC) history professor and authority on Gunnison County and Colorado history. A Flauschink tale also will be told by George Sibley, founder of Flauschink and a retired WSC professor. The cost is $4 with a Flauschink button and $7 without a button.

Flauschink officially kicks off with a coronation ball held at 9 p.m. on Friday to crown the new king and queen and enjoy an evening of polka dancing with the Pete Dunda Polka Band at The Eldo. The cost is $5 with a button and $8 without a button.

The king and queen of Flauschink typically have three things in common: they are involved in the community, enjoy longtime resident status, and are held in high esteem by other locals. A parade on Saturday honors the king and queen as they proudly raise scepters made from toilet plungers, gives has-been royalty the chance to wear their crowns and ride on a float again, and provides a reason to rain down fun on Elk Avenue, Crested Buttes historic business district. The parade will begin at 5 p.m.

On Sunday, the festival and ski season will draw to a fitting close with the Flauschink king and queen holding court on the slopes at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Skiers and snowboarders pass by Flauschink Hill, above Twister warming house deck, to toast royalty.

Flauschink buttons are sold for $3 at several local businesses in Crested Butte to raise money for the festival and to provide discounts on slide show and coronation ball tickets. Also view memorabilia in the Flauschink exhibit at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum.Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text Feeds | Amazon Plugins

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