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Announcing Furr Ball

By on 09/06/2016 in Index

Join the Front Range Bears for Furr Ball on October 1 from 9:00 PM to 2:00 AM with DJ Robbie Winehouse.Robbie_Winehouse

The cost will be $10 through midnight, September 24th, then increasing to $15 through midnight Sept 30th. We will also be selling tickets at the door for $15.
Tickets can be purchased online through www.octobearfest.org or printed tickets are available from committee members for cash.

Fur Ball will be held at the Ramada Inn on Colfax, and will include a live DJ, Food, Beer, Cash Bar, and more. A special rate of $85 will be available for the weekend, but you must book your room by September 17th.

We are planning a pre-frolic outing to Denver Swim Club that afternoon, and the White Lightning Bus will be available for our cannabis friends.

Watch this space for more details to come. In the meantime, get your ticket at http://www.octobearfest.org/product/furr-ball/.

Furr Ball Poster 02

2016 FRB Campout

By on 08/15/2016 in General

Lakeview CampgroundThis year’s camping trip will be at Lakeview Campground, Loop E in Twin Lakes, Colorado.

Lakeview Campground, with wonderful views of the Twin Lakes Reservoir, offers a large space with options for tent, RV and group camping. Located about 29 miles north of Buena Vista and 26 miles south of Leadville, the campground attracts plenty of hikers looking to explore nearby nature and backpacking trails in the Mount Massive Wilderness. Boating and fishing enthusiasts spend their days at the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Mt. Elbert Forebay.

Our theme this year is “Camping Around the World”.  Each of the meals will feature the cuisine of a different country. Here is a Google Maps link with directions to the campsite from Denver. Click the Continue Reading link below for the Campout Agenda and more information about the area.

Registrations have closed, but you can contact campout@frontrangebears.org to see if any last minute spots are available.

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OBF’s Furr Ball, Saturday, October 1st, 8 pm – 2 am, Ramada Inn – Save the date!

By on 07/25/2016 in Index

Dear Octobearfest Supporter and friend of the Front Range Bears,

For 21 years, Octobearfest has been Denver’s only bear centered weekend and one of our annual events, and we have taken great pride to presenting it to the community.  However, this year, due to the lack of sponsorship, volunteers and advance registration, we felt we could not present to you the event that would live up to past years, and one that we would be proud of. After much discussion, the Front Range Bears Board of Directors and the OBF Chairmen have voted to cancel Octobearfest 2016. Our decision was not an easy one to make.  
For those supporters who have already registered for the event, we are preparing a full refund check to be mail to you. Our goal is to have them in the mail by Friday.   If you have not received your check by, Friday, July 22nd, please email chairman@octobearfest.org.  The club is looking at the feasibility of hosting a party on Saturday, October 1st, and if that event happens, anyone who pre-registered for Octobearfest 2016 will be our guest at that event.
For those who have made hotel reservations at the Ramada Inn, we gave notice to the hotel last week to release the room block, however, it is your responsibility to cancel your reservation with the hotel directly.   Please call them at 303-831-7700 to cancel your reservation.  The hotel has confirmed that they will honor the group rate for anyone who wishes to keep their room reservations.
For those who have made airline reservations, we are sorry for the cancellation, and hope you will be able to either cancel or change your reservation.   We realize this can create a burden for some of you, and we are very sorry for that.
Many of you are probably wondering about the future of Octobearfest.   The Board of Directors is wondering the same thing, and is in discussion with our membership to see if we can continue this event.  As soon as a decision can be made, we will inform you.  If you have any suggestions for the Board and the Committee, please feel free to let us know at the email addresses below.
Again, we are sorry to deliver such bad news to you today.  We hope you will understand the position we are in, and what prompt us to make this decision.  We ask that you continue to support Front Range Bears with their other events. 
Please feel free to address any comments to Chairman@octobearfest.org and board@frontrangebears.org
Sincerely yours,
OBF 2016 Committee &
Board of Directors
Front Range Bears

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A message about OctoBEARfest 2016

By on 07/22/2016 in Index
As you are probably aware by now, Octobearfest 2016 has been cancelled by the BOD of the Front Range Bears after long discussion with Lou & myself.   The decision was based on the fact that we had only 10 weeks to finalize the event, and with the lack of advance registration, sponsorship commitment, and lack of volunteers, we felt we could not put on the event at the level of quality that has been done in the past.
Lou and I would like to thank you for your time and involvement in helping to plan the event.  We appreciate your efforts and dedication to it.
There will be a meeting on Saturday, July 23rd at 3 pm at the Ramada Inn to discuss two main topics, and we invite your to attend and offer your comments.
1.  Alternative Party – It has been suggested that we host an alternative party on Saturday, October 1st at the Ramada.   Again this event can only be successful if we have the level of volunteers needed to product a good quality event.   We have secured the Ramada Inn for that date, but there is a lot to be discussed.   What format do we want it to, what do we offer – food, music, dancing, activities, etc; publicity, etc.    Please let us know what you think, and if you want to be involved by attending the meeting.
2.  Future of Octobearfest – OBF is one of the longest running bear events in the nation.  But has it seem it’s usefulness?  Is it time for the event to end, or do we change the format and purpose?   Do we look at an alternative date and location.   Again, your feedback is appreciated.  The final decision lies with the membership of the Front Range Bears, but we do want to hear from you.
Finally, we had committed to the Wrangler to sell Jello Shots at the bar on the 23rd of the July.  This is their final weekend in that location, and we would like to be able to honor that commitment.   It is not a big time or manpower investment, but it will require both to pull it off, and I am asking if you can volunteer some time to help out.  On Friday, 22nd at 7:00pm, we will meet at the bar to make the shots.  This should take about an hour to hour/half.   On Saturday, 23rd, we will start selling the shots around 9:30 to 10:00, and end around midnight.
In order to not tie up everyone night, my recommendation is that we have 2-4 people per hour roaming the bar to sell the shots.  Are you willing to invest some time to help us out.  
Email me at Chairman@octobearfest.org if you are able to help with the shots, or if you are interested in helping with the Alternative event.    If you have comments or feedback that you want to share ahead of time,  please either the group or chairman@octobearfest.org.
 
Again, thank you for your interest, and I look forward to hearing from you.
 
James Martin
Octobearfest

Website Updates

By on 02/07/2016 in General

Hello fellow Bears! Thanks so much for your patience as we work on getting the website updated. I’ve been working hard behind the scenes getting to know the layout of the site, and taking care of some various issues. We working to make sure the site shows up in search lists properly, as well as making sure it’s fully secure. There are a number of changes happening, and things will be in flux for a little while. If you notice that something is not working, or see anything strange, please do not hesitate to contact me at webmaster@frontrangebears.org.

If you would like to contribute an article, or need to have anything added to the site, please also contact me. I’m here to help, and I’ll be as quick as I can to respond. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns at any time.

Best regards,
Bret Gregory

Two New Events Coordinated by James Martin

By on 11/16/2015 in Index

potluck_200pxBears do Brunch.

Sunday, November 22nd at 11:00 am.
Join us for breakfast on the third Sunday of each month. For the month of November, we will meet at Punch Bowl Social on 65 N Broadway at 11:00 am for Brunch. It is a great setting with a great menu, take a look at www.punchbowlsocial.com. In December, it will be on Sunday, December 20th at a location to be announced. If you have recommendations, let me know.

zoo-lights-650pxBlossom of Lights at the Denver Botanical Gardens.

Friday, December 4th at 6:30 pm at 10th & York location.
We will meet outside the entrance just south of the front door by the lit Blossom of Lights sign. You will need to purchase your tickets in advance on their website at www.botanicgardens.org/lights. It will be a great way to start off the Holiday season, as we stroll through the gardens and see their light display.