Glenwood Caverns Kicks Off the Holidays, Nov. 18

America’s only mountaintop theme park celebrates the start of the holiday season with its 4th Annual Turkey Tram-a-Ganza and Winter on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

The tradition continues! Count on Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for holiday spirit and merriment – lend a helping hand to those in need, spend time with friends and family, and get into the holiday groove with music, lights, Santa and more.

It all begins on Saturday, Nov. 18.

  • Turkey Tram-a-Ganza. (Noon to 4 p.m.) Generosity and giving to those less fortunate are an integral part of the holidays; that’s why we kick off the season with our Turkey Tram-a-Ganza. Bring a frozen turkey to the Glenwood Caverns tram base and receive up to four free tram rides per donated turkey, or bring a can of food (or non-perishable) for a single tram pass. Community food pantry, LIFT-UP will distribute turkeys and other Thanksgiving fixings to area families in need. Turkey donors also get the chance to enter a drawing to win an Annual Thrill Pass or two day passes to Iron Mountain Hot Springs.

  • Winter on the Mountain Kick-off Party. (5 p.m. to closing) Stay for the festivities at this annual party that celebrates the start of the holidays with an abundance of good cheer. Kids can meet Santa in the North Pole and get bear hugs from the Coco-Cola polar bear. The Alpine Coaster will be open, as well as several other attractions. Warm up, roast s’mores and sip hot beverages around the fire pits in the plaza. Local trio, the Leonard Curry Band will be performing holiday favorites in the Lookout Grille. At 6 p.m., the lighting of a musical Christmas tree is one of the highlights of evening.

Bring a turkey to the base of the tram and get up to four free tram rides to the top!

Music on the Mountain Returns August 19

Music on the Mountain, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s mountaintop concerts begin again and run through September.

Music on the Mountain resumes Saturday, August 19. After a brief summer hiatus the popular Glenwood Springs concert series takes to the stage once again for six evenings of musical entertainment. A different band entertains the crowd each week through September 23. Come for the live music and stay for an evening of dancing, delicious food, drink specials, and spectacular views. Even the breaks between sets are fun-filled – with prize drawings for t-shirts, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Funday passes, and Iron Mountain Hot Springs day passes.

In addition to providing six weeks of late summer entertainment, Music on the Mountain also helps to serve the community. Guests can ride the tram or an adventure vehicle and enjoy the concerts free with the donation of a canned food item for the Lift-Up community food pantry. At last count, Music on the Mountain attendees had donated over 64,000 cans of food!

For Saturday shows, rides to the mountaintop start at 4 p.m., with music from 6 – 10 p.m.; on Sunday, Sept. 10, rides to the park begin at 2 p.m. The band plays from 4 – 8 p.m.

During the concerts the park is fully operational with outdoor rides open until dusk. The Laser Tag arena and 4D Motion Theater are open until the park closes. For the best value, we recommend purchasing the Funday Pass at the walkup window for just $38 with the free tram ride.

Come and listen to all your favorites from roadhouse blues and southern rock to modern renditions at America’s only mountaintop theme park. The lineup features award-winning artists with a heavy focus on rock classics.

Saturday, August 19 — Fifty50 (classic, modern and original rock) sponsored by Swire Coca-Cola

Saturday, August 26 — The Gerry Goodman Band (Stevie Ray Vaughan cover tunes, classic rock) sponsored by Young Services

Saturday, September 9 — Already Gone (American resort rock) sponsored by Community Banks of Colorado

Sunday, September 10 — Christian Music on the Mountain (The Orchard from Carbondale) sponsored by Glenwood TV

Saturday, September 16 — Poser (classic rock) sponsored by Bighorn Toyota

Saturday, September 23 — Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones cover band) sponsored by Glenwood Insurance Agency

2017 Season of Music on the Mountain Opens in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

It’s that time again! Time for Music on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The 10-concert summer music series kicks off Friday, May 26, of Memorial Day weekend in Glenwood Springs.

In its ninth season, Music on the Mountain is an outdoor music lover’s dream-come-true. It takes place at America’s only mountaintop theme park where an eclectic mix of bands, lots of dancing, spectacular Colorado views, plenty of good food and thrifty drink specials converge for 10 festive summer nights. Cost of admission? Concerts are free with the donation of a canned good; beans and soups of all varieties and Spaghettios are popular choices. Not only is Music on the Mountain outstanding entertainment for visitors to Glenwood Springs and the locals who live here, the event helps stock the shelves of the Lift-Up community food pantry, a cause that helps individuals and families in need. At last count, Music on the Mountain attendees have donated a total of over 62,000 cans of food!

Hop aboard the Iron Mountain Tramway or one of the Cavern’s new adventure vehicles for a ride from the valley floor to the top of Iron Mountain where the festivities take place. Because the concerts are quite popular, there can sometimes be a wait to get to the top of Iron Mountain. Our advice is to relax and make friends with your neighbors in line while the Glenwood Caverns staff handles the work of transporting people to and from the mountaintop.

Planning & timing. With the exception of Sunday concerts on June 11, and September 10, when the Park closes at 8 p.m., bands take the stage at 6 p.m. and entertain crowds until closing time at 10 p.m. During the concerts the park is fully operational with outdoor rides open until dusk; so go ahead and take a turn while you’re here. For the best value, we recommend purchasing the Funday Pass, just $38 with the free tram ride.

The lineup. The season starts out strong with the Summer Kick-off on Friday, May 26, featuring the Missing Link Band, and from there it doesn’t miss a beat. Consider planning your Glenwood Springs vacation to coincide with one or more Music on the Mountain concerts. The combo of music, festival atmosphere and mountaintop adventure is certain to be high point of your trip. View the complete Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park events calendar.

Friday, May 26The Missing Link Band (blend of classic rock, dance, funk & groove tunes) all sponsors are showcased at this opening event
During the Summer Kick-off, Maciej Mrotek and partners will present two performances of the Dance of the Sacred Fire during the concert. The mesmerizing, high energy show features flame throwing and fire breathing!

Saturday, June 3Whiskey Stomp and the Logan Brothers (two popular local bands) sponsored by KSPN/Lift AMT

Saturday, June 10Bryan Savage (solo jazz saxophone and flute virtuoso) sponsored by the Hotel Glenwood Springs

Sunday, June 11 — Integrantes Del Norte (upbeat Latin music) sponsored by Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Enjoy a free tram ride after 2 p.m. with the donation of a can of food for the Lift-Up food pantry. The band plays from 4 to 8 p.m. for this special Sunday event.

Saturday, August 19Fifty50 (classic, modern and original rock) sponsored by Swire Coca-Cola

Saturday, August 26The Gerry Goodman Band (Stevie Ray Vaughan cover tunes, classic rock) sponsored by Young Services

Saturday, September 9Already Gone (American resort rock) sponsored by Community Banks of Colorado

Sunday, September 10 — Christian Music on the Mountain (The Orchard from Carbondale) sponsored by Glenwood TV

Enjoy a free tram ride after 2 p.m. with the donation of a can of food for the LiftUp food pantry. The band plays from 4 to 8 p.m. for this special Sunday event.

Saturday, September 16 — Poser (classic rock) sponsored by Bighorn Toyota

Saturday, September 23 — Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones cover band) sponsored by Glenwood Insurance Agency

Turkey Tram-a-Ganza and Winter on the Mountain

Looking for something fun to do next weekend? Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park has you covered! We’ve got a lot coming up with both the third annual Turkey Tram-a-Ganza and the kickoff of Winter on the Mountain happening on Saturday, Nov. 19. Join us in Glenwood Springs, Colorado for all the festivities!

The Turkey Tram-a-Ganza event, a benefit for LIFT-UP’s local food pantries, collects Thanksgiving food items for area families in need. Drop off a turkey at the tram base and receive up to four free tram passes! By donating a turkey, you’ll also be entered into a drawing for an Annual Thrill Pass or two day passes to the Iron Mountain Hot Springs (four winners will be selected). Guests can also donate cans of food or other non-perishable items and receive one free tram pass per person.

Bring a turkey to the base of the tram and get up to four free tram rides to the top!

Alpine Coaster at Winter on the Mountain #getuphere

The Alpine Coaster is lit up at night during Winter on the Mountain!

KSNO’s Jim Williams will broadcast live from the Iron Mountain Tramway during the Turkey Tram-a-Ganza, which runs from noon until 4 p.m.

The free tram rides are valid for Saturday Nov. 19 only, and can be used to attend the kick-off party for Winter on the Mountain, which starts at 5 p.m. It will be a festive event to start the winter season! With the park covered in twinkling lights (including lighted rides and caves), a giant musical Christmas tree lighting at 7 p.m., live music and a visit from Santa Claus, Winter on the Mountain is dazzling fun for the whole family.

By donating a turkey, you’ll be eligible to receive a discounted Winter Funday Pass. For just $25, you can enjoy both walking cave tours and unlimited access to the Alpine Coaster, Soaring Eagle Zip Ride, laser tag arena and 4D Motion Theater.

For more information, visit our Park Info page. We hope to see you at the Park on Saturday, Nov. 19!

Lift-Up: “A beaming light in a trying time of darkness”

As most people familiar with Music on the Mountain know, we partner with the non-profit organization Lift-Up for Can for a Tram, a program that collects cans of food at the tram base at every concert. We also collect turkeys in November for Lift-Up’s Thanksgiving meals during our Turkey-Tram-a-Ganza event. We thought we would shine a spotlight on this important organization that’s helped thousands of people all over the region!

Lift-Up began during the oil shale boom in Rifle, when workers flooded into the area, looking for jobs but living in cars and under bridges. In the ensuing oil shale bust in the 1980s, Lift-Up was invaluable when Exxon closed overnight and 2,000 people were suddenly unemployed. Ever since, they’ve been a facilitator for the community to respond to people in need.

While food collection and donation is a big part of their program, they do much more. “Lift-Up’s mission is to provide essential humanitarian assistance in the communities we serve,” says Kim Loving, Lift-Up’s director. “We serve the unemployed, underemployed and homeless in our communities.”

To show the impact they have, let’s look at the year 2015: in that year alone, Lift-Up gave out over 35,000 bags of groceries! They assisted 42,872  people in 2015 with everything from groceries, prescriptions, thrift store vouchers, bus passes, emergency help, and soup kitchen meals. Last year, Lift-Up assembled and distributed 1,738 food baskets during the holidays. “To me, our numbers served show the impact we have on the community,” Loving points out.

There are also the personal stories that put a face to the individuals that Lift-Up helps. Take the case of Lisa (name changed for privacy), a struggling mother who was at her wit’s end:
“This past winter, we found ourselves in need of help. We had mounting medical bills due to a sick child, and I was sick myself. This resulted in numerous ER visits and surgeries. We didn’t have medical insurance at the time so the bills added up quickly. We paid $800 a month in medical bills on top of a mortgage and other various bills. Soon, we were struggling to keep food in the pantry and on the table. In November, one of our debtors decided to raise our bill significantly, and would sue us if we didn’t keep up. This was most of our budget for food. We had no choice but to swallow our pride and reach out for help. I reached out to a friend who told me about Lift-Up and what it was all about. I remember crying all the way down to Lift-Up, thanking God that there was someplace that could help us keep our children fed.

When we arrived, I didn’t know what to expect. Debi, a Lift-Up employee, was so wonderful and just started filling boxes and bags of food for our family. She was so sweet and caring. There was no judgement; just love.
Lift Up helped us get through Thanksgiving and Christmas. They helped me with jackets and snow pants for my kids, so they could be warm during winter. We are so grateful for Lift-Up and what they did for our family. They were a beaming light in a trying time of darkness. We appreciate them and we are eternally grateful for providing what we needed and for their love and compassion.”

The organization is always trying to branch out and fulfill needs that aren’t being taken care of. Lift-Up began a new Mobile Friday Lunch program last November, in collaboration with the school district. Kids going to Garfield RE2 schools only go four days a week, so Lift-Up makes and distributes a nutritious sack lunch at three lower-income locations in Rifle on the days when school is not in session.

“We have distributed over 1,800 lunches so far in 2016. This program has been such a blessing for Lift-Up. I personally enjoy handing out the lunches to the kids. They have been so thankful and a joy to be around!” exclaims Loving.

During Turkey Tram-a-Ganza, people donating turkeys get free tram rides to the top of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

“I would encourage anyone who can to come join us and hand out lunches on Fridays. We start at 11:00 at Davidson Park in Rifle and end up at Joyce Park at 12:00. The middle stop is Cottonwood Springs Park, which begins at 11:30. The smiles and thank you’s are so worth it, even when it is really cold out.”

If you’d like to donate to Lift-Up in other ways, Loving says, “we are always in need of donated food items or even gift cards from grocery stores, where we can purchase meat for the pantries. Monetary donations are welcomed too!” A full list of items Lift-Up always wants on their shelves can help guide you.

“I would like the community to know that all of Lift-Ups’s programs wouldn’t be possible without the support we have received. I can’t ever thank everyone enough,” Loving concluded.

Bring at least one can of food to donate to Lift-Up and receive a FREE tram ride to the top for Music on the Mountain this weekend, and every Music on the Mountain show in the future. Thank you for making a positive impact on our community! For more information about upcoming concerts, visit Music on the Mountain.