Wild West Fest: Showcase & Shindig

28 May Wild West Fest: Showcase & Shindig

Event takes place Thursday, June 4, 2015, 4-6 p.m., FREE in Elks Park

For the past 24 years, the Sheridan Arts Foundation kicks off the summer with the Wild West Fest bringing 30-50 underserved youth from all over the country to Telluride for a week of empowering activities.

This year, the Wild West Fest presents a fun and free new activity open to the public on Thursday, June 4, 4-6 p.m. The public is invited to the WWF Showcase & Shindig, an event featuring the WWF Performance and Rock and Roll Academy mentorship groups and other fun events. Children of all ages are invited to join in on the fun. 

The Shindig also features free ice cream, face painting, a toddler jumping castle and a special performance from the Yellow Bird Indian Dance Troupe.

The Yellow Bird Troupe, which includes members of the Apache, Arikara and Hidatsa Native American Tribes, is nationally renowned with appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Billboard Music Awards, the Summer Olympics, and more.

Yellow Bird’s performance includes a selection of authentic tribal dances, songs, and stories professionally and energetically paced, including champion hoop dancers. The presentation is enhanced with appropriate interpretation and indigenous music.

“We are thrilled to bring Yellow Bird back to Telluride to help us present the spirit of Wild West Fest to the public,” said event director Ronnie Palamar. “We are committed to providing these WWF kids with a wonderful visit to Telluride and we hope the community will come out and support them.”

Monday, June 1, 36 disadvantaged youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America come to Telluride from Denver, CO; Des Moines, IA; Atlanta, GA; Farmington, NM; Nucla/Naturita CO; and Santa Fe, NM for a week of empowering activities that celebrate Western arts, culture, and customs.

Tuesday through Thursday the youth, ages 12-18 partake in the Chip Allen Mentorship Program (CAMP), the foundational component of the Wild West Fest. The youth will be grouped with professionals in the fields of performance, fly fishing, outdoor adventure, visual arts and music, and work with them through the week to learn more about their chosen field.

For a preview of the Yellow Bird Troupe, watch this video

The Sheridan Arts Foundation was founded in 1991 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization to preserve the historic Sheridan Opera House as an arts and cultural resource for the Telluride community, to bring quality arts and cultural events to Telluride and to provide local and national youth with access and exposure to the arts through education. The SAF is sponsored in part by grants from the Telluride Foundation, CCAASE and CCI.