MO pro UNT gra AIN m i FA nsi IR de
the
Sopris
Carbondale’s weekly, non-profit newspaper
Sun
VOLUME 2, NUMBER 22 • JULY 15, 2010
Mountain Flair
Amy Kimberly organizes Mountain Fair with a touch of style By Trina Ortega Special to The Sopris Sun
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It takes a leader that can wear a lot of different hats to pull off an event the size of Mountain Fair. Fair Director Amy Kimberly does it with style –– and a lot of community support. Photo by Jane Bachrach
lared skirts and flashy tops are not essential in managing the town’s largest event of the year, but with her eclectic wardrobe of stylish dresses, colorful hats and crazy outfits, Amy Kimberly makes the Carbondale Mountain Fair director’s job look fun. It takes a person who can wear a lot of hats to orchestrate the many personalities and tasks of the annual arts and music festival, and Kimberly, aka the Mountain Fair Queen, wears them well. “I feel honored to be able to wear all these hats. I can’t think of any other hats I would rather wear,” Kimberly said, while in the midst of planning this year’s fair. “Working for Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities is such a social job. A lot of people comment that it looks like a lot of fun. But this is my job; it’s a lot of work.” The 39th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair begins at noon on Friday with the opening of the arts and crafts booths, and the festival officially kicks off with the traditional drum circle and blessing at 4 p.m. Friday. The fair will welcome an estimated 20,000 revelers, 167 artisans, more than 100 total entertainers, nearly 25 food vendors and roughly 350 volunteers for a three-day party right in ol’ Sopris Park. By the end of the weekend, the “little” shindig will have raised between $40,000 and $60,000 for CCAH, according to Kimberly. “It’s one of my favorite fairs, for sure. It’s about community. If you live in Carbondale, it’s almost like a rite of passage,” she said. “I like to think of it as a barn-raising. People say, ‘I’m too busy to volunteer.’ But that’s what I think is special about it — taking the time to stop what you’re doing and coming together to help at the fair.” Kimberly credits all of the people around MANY HATS page 7
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