Friends of Gilpin County Community Center

10/24/2026

We had a great time serving up hot chocolate and hot c***r for Spooky Stroll!! Thanks to everyone who stopped by! The costumes were all amazing! Thanks to Gilpin County Parks and Recreation for making all this possible!!

09/11/2026

We're really excited about being part of Fairgrounds Frenzy Saturday, Sept 12th. Not only are we bringing Gilpin Astroday, with the Fiske Dome, sungazing, meteorite samples, and two astronomy talks -- but, we're also going to be serving frosty drinks at a booth near the fairgrounds!

Come by for the astronomy, stay for the first responders, sound bath, and artisans market!

We're offering two astro talks, one at 11 -- about US astronomers and their discoveries -- and another one at 1 p.m., called "A Star is Born!". Come learn about astronomy, sit unde the dome and marvel at what you can see, and have more fun the rest of the day!

https://gilpincommunitycenter.org/gilpin-astroday-is-saturday-sept-12th/

AstroDay events are free of charge, thanks to our generous donors.

Gilpin AstroDay is Saturday, Sept 12th! September 11, 2026 Carolyn Collins Petersen What if you could see a planetarium show up here in Gilpin? Or see the Sun through a telescope? Or hear talks about the latest in astronomy? Or, see and touch a meteorite? All free and courtesy of Friends of the Gilp...

09/09/2026

Just a reminder:

Gilpin AstroDay is Coming Up!

What if you could see a planetarium show up here in Gilpin? Or see the Sun through a telescope? Or hear talks about the latest in astronomy? Or, see and touch a meteorite? All free and courtesy of Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center!

All those are available for you to enjoy on Gilpin AstroDay, September 12th, starting at 10 a.m. and running til 3 p.m.!

We're pleased to bring the amazing University of Colorado Fiske Planetarium traveling dome to the Center.

Show schedule: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., every thirty minutes in the Community Center lounge. The planetarium is also bringing its meteorite collection, so come on in and see and touch a real piece of space rock!

In addition to the dome shows and meteorites, the Fiske folks are bringing up a solar telescope to give you a chance to safely view the Sun. Will you be the one who spots a solar prominence or a sunspot?

And, there'll also be special talks in the Multi-purpose room at the Center. So, you can come in and learn a little bit about the cosmos before or after seeing a planetarium show.

Talk Schedule: 11 a.m. "United States Astronomers and their Amazing Discoveries" by Carolyn Collins Petersen

1 p.m. "A Star is Born" by Jess Tuton

We'll also have star charts available for you to take home, and will do some "how to use your chart for stargazing" sessions in the MPR between talks.

Finally, that evening, Carolyn Collins Petersen will be offering an astronomy talk at the Reverend Ridge Campground amphitheater at Golden Gate Canyon State Park (Gap Road, off of 119). Check the park schedule for the time.

Mark your calendar and bring friends, family, and yourself to Gilpin AstroDay! All of this is free and open to the public offered by Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center, sponsored by donations from the Alan Green Memorial Foundation and private donors.

09/02/2026

Gilpin AstroDay is Coming Up!

What if you could see a planetarium show up here in Gilpin? Or see the Sun through a telescope? Or hear talks about the latest in astronomy? Or, see and touch a meteorite? All free and courtesy of Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center!

All those are available for you to enjoy on Gilpin AstroDay, September 12th, starting at 10 a.m. and running til 3 p.m.!

We're pleased to bring the amazing University of Colorado Fiske Planetarium traveling dome to the Center.

Show schedule: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., every thirty minutes in the Community Center lounge. The planetarium is also bringing its meteorite collection, so come on in and see and touch a real piece of space rock!

In addition to the dome shows and meteorites, the Fiske folks are bringing up a solar telescope to give you a chance to safely view the Sun. Will you be the one who spots a solar prominence or a sunspot?

And, there'll also be special talks in the Multi-purpose room at the Center. So, you can come in and learn a little bit about the cosmos before or after seeing a planetarium show.

Talk Schedule: 11 a.m. "United States Astronomers and their Amazing Discoveries" by Carolyn Collins Petersen
1 p.m. "A Star is Born" by Jess Tuton

We'll also have star charts available for you to take home, and will do some "how to use your chart for stargazing" sessions in the MPR between talks.

Finally, that evening, Carolyn Collins Petersen will be offering an astronomy talk at the Reverend Ridge Campground amphitheater at Golden Gate Canyon State Park (Gap Road, off of 119). Check the park schedule for the time.

Mark your calendar and bring friends, family, and yourself to Gilpin AstroDay! All of this is free and open to the public offered by Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center, sponsored by donations from the Alan Green Memorial Foundation and private donors.

For more information, contact us at: [email protected]

Send a message to learn more

07/24/2026

Many, many thanks to Gabrielle Chisholm, Krystal Meyer, the Fair Committee, and the Community Center staff for all their hard work to put this year's Gilpin County Fair Together. It was an amazing event!

We are pleased to sponsor the Fiber Arts competition, the Fair Ambassador Scholarships, and to partner with the Mining Competition folks this year! It was great fun to meet fair attendees at our booth, serve some frosty beverages, and talk with folks from around the state!

Finally, many thanks to our members who crewed our booth: Karen Eye, John Bryan, Susan Yeck, Susan and Glenn Hendershot, Mary Lorenz, Jess Tuton, Kelly Ragland, Marian Shetley, Jan Headrick, Patty Hunter, and Carolyn Petersen. Additional thanks to Greg Petty for helping with setup and teardown.

On to next year!

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07/20/2026

Many, many thanks to our members and volunteers who worked serving beverages at our County Fair booth this past weekend! To JB, Patty, the two Susans, Glenn, Karen, Jess, Jan, Marian, and Kelly — your time and efforts are greatly appreciated.

It was a great fair, good music and events!

07/17/2026

It’s Fair Time! The band is playing, we have b**r, w**e and nonalcoholic drinks right across from the band!

Fabulous vendors, great activities!

Come on out!

07/14/2026

The Gilpin County Fair is coming up fast, with events starting at 10 a.m. Friday the 17th with the parade, and bands and activities starting at noon Friday at the Community Center. Festivities keep going through to Sunday night. We're pleased to be supporting the Fair Ambassador program, the Fiber Arts competition, and the Gilpin Gourmet contest with cash prizes.

You can see the Fair Schedule here:

https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/gilpinparksandrec/activity/search/detail/684?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

Come see us at our booth throughout the fair. We'll be selling/serving a variety of adult and non-alcoholic beverages as a fundraiser. These funds (along with generous donations from patrons) go to help such programs as the Heart of the Community Fund (which enables Gilpinites who need a little extra help affording the Center and its classes), as well as special events. These include Gilpin Astroday, the 5K Wined-up, the Spooky Stroll and Winter Arts Festival at the Gilpin County Community Center throughout the year.

We're also partnering with the Mining Competition this year, and our members have served as fair volunteers and committee members.

See you at the Fair!

06/26/2026

Join us tomorrow to see how you can help!

06/22/2026

Friends of Gilpin County Community Center held its annual meeting and awards ceremony on June 11th at the Center. Here are a few pictures from the festivities. We thank everyone who attended to honor our awardees!