Featured Festival: Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival in Ouray

There are few things I love more than wine, chocolate and cheese and I am not alone. That’s why you should get yourself to Ouray, Colorado for this annual December affair.

The event was founded by Faith Parry who has a passion for Colorado-owned businesses. She, along with Jennifer Loshaw, saw Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival as a way to support small Colorado wine and food businesses as well as bring visitors to Ouray.

“I wanted to have an opportunity to showcase the fabulous things we have in Colorado,” says Parry.

Ouray Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival. HeidiTown.com

She also wanted to encourage folks to shop local for Christmas presents instead of heading outside of Ouray to the big box stores.

Originally, the event featured Colorado wine and chocolate, but Colorado cheese was added the second year in order to bring something savory to the table. Last year, the event expanded again to include Colorado arts and crafts and Colorado distilled spirits – making it a real Colorado party.

Ouray Wine Chocolate & Cheese Festival. HeidiTown.com

Swing City Express, a 9-piece swing band will provide festive music for Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival this year. Guests are encouraged to dress up too – this year’s theme is Winter Wonderland.

Each year the festival helps out a local nonprofit and this year that organization is Art Partners, promoting youth development and building a sense of social responsibility and self-esteem. They serve Delta, Montrose and Ouray.

While this event attracts people from the region, there’s no reason folks on the Front Range can’t make a trip to the Ouray around Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival. After all, it may be tiny, but Ouray is full of fun – it’s a HeidiTown favorite! You can check out their two amazing museums, sip suds at two locally owned breweries, shop at the town’s many unique stores or just soak in the hot springs pool all day.

Ouray Colorado in the winter. HeidiTown.com

If you are more adventurous, check out the Ouray Ice Park – right now it’s set to open on the weekend of the festival. Read about my experience there.

“Ouray is a magical place in the winter,” says Parry. “Christmas lights shine against the sparkle of the snow.  It’s a quaint snowy town nestled in a canyon surrounded by towering mountains. And there’s fantastic festivities almost every weekend from Thanksgiving to mid-January.”

Tickets for Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival are just $20 and available online.  Better yet, stay at a participating Ouray hotel or bed and breakfast and receive a discounted ticket for only $10. Buy tickets and see list of participating lodging establishments here.

Ouray’s Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival

December 13, 2014

6 to 9 p.m.

Ouray Community Center at 320 6th Avenue

ChocolateWineFest.org

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Ouray Wine Chocolate & Cheese Festival

 

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Featured Festival spots on HeidiTown.com are paid advertisements. Interested in having your festival or event considered for a feature? Email TheMayor@HeidiTown.com.

 

1 Comment


  1. Well I love me some cheese and wine so this might be something I take my friend too!! Yum!

    Reply

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