Rocky Mountain National Park’s Exciting Centennial Celebration Around The Corner - Honor the Past, Celebrate The Present, Inspire The Future

News Release Date: August 26, 2014

Contact: Kyle Patterson, [phone]

The year-long celebration of Rocky Mountain National Park's 100th Anniversary begins next week, with fun kick-off events! Whether you are a regular visitor, a national park traveler, or a virtual explorer, Rocky Mountain National Park hopes that the anniversary will inspire you to experience and connect with the park that has inspired 100 years of protection and will continue to enchant and delight visitors and stewards for another 100 years. To find out more and get involved, visit Rocky Mountain National Park's 2014 Centennial Calendar of Events at www.nps.gov/romo and look for the Centennial logo.

Kick-off events in Rocky Mountain National Park promise to be a great start to a full year's worth of special events throughout the park and surrounding communities. A Kick-off Ceremony will be held on the east side of the park on Wednesday, September 3, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will be held at Hidden Valley however, to attend this event, visitors must board a shuttle bus from the Fairgrounds Park-n-Ride (1170 Manford Ave., Estes Park). Buses will begin service at noon and will continue through 5:00 p.m.

A Kick-off Ice Cream Social will be held on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday, September 4, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Holzwarth Historic Site however, to attend this event, visitors must board a shuttle bus from the Grand Lake Town Hall or the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. Buses will begin service at noon and will continue through 5:00 p.m. For both events, visitors are encouraged to be at bus stops as close to noon as possible to ensure timely arrival at the event. Special guests, music, activities, and treats will round out the two-hour events.

Centennial events continue through next year. Following is the list of events for September. For details, please check the park website at www.nps.gov/romo:

· September 3: Kick off Ceremony, RMNP

· September 3: Wonder of the Wild, Images of RMNP Gallery, Estes Park

· September 4: Kick off Ice Cream Social, RMNP ·September 4: Wonder of the Wild II, Grand Lake Art Gallery, Grand Lake

· September 4-7: Longs Peak Scottish Irish Festival, Estes Park

· September 5: Rocky Mountain Conservancy Centennial Seminar: Hike the Ute Trail with a Naturalist

· September 6: Wilderness Act 50th Anniversary Wilderness Walk, Lily Lake, RMNP

· September 6: A Celebration of RMNP, Kawuneeche Visitor Center, RMNP

· September 6-7: Oil Painters of America Great Paint Out, Trail River Ranch, RMNP

· September 7: Music, Munchies, and Maybe a Moose, Trail River Ranch, RMNP

· September 8: Rocky Mountain Conservancy Centennial Seminar: The First 100 Years

· September 13: Rocky Mountain Conservancy Centennial Seminar: Bighorn Sheep Ecology

· September 15: The Women of Wind Research in RMNP, Beaver Meadows Auditorium, RMNP

· September 20: Rocky Mountain Conservancy Centennial Seminar: Photographing the Wildlife and Wonder of Autumn with John Fielder

· September 20: Constitution Week Concert featuring Peggy Mann, Grand Lake

· September 21-30: Paint Something Grand, Grand Lake

· September 25-28: Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Opening Reception, Quick Draw, Art Show, and Sale, RMNP

· September 26: Centennial Speaker Series: Mary Taylor Young, Kawuneeche Visitor Center, RMNP

· September 26-27: Trappers Wild Game Culinary Affair, Grand Lake

· September 27: Centennial Speaker Series: Mary Taylor Young, Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Auditorium, RMNP

Applications to host Centennial events in 2015 are due September 1. Businesses and organizations that want to be part of the fun just need to connect their event to Rocky Mountain National Park's Centennial theme; Wilderness, Wildlife, Wonder. Interested parties should visit the 100th Anniversary Website at www.nps.gov/romo for logo use guidelines, application forms, and additional information.

Check the park website regularly or follow us on social media @Rockynps for updates on 100th Anniversary events and planning. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please contact the park's Information Office at [phone]. Centennial celebrations only come around every one hundred years, don't let this one pass you by!