Vinotok 2022 is just around the corner

Altars, Grump Boxes & Feast Tickets – oh my!

Get ready for the 39th annual Vinotok: An Autumn Equinox Festival Celebrating Nature, Community & the Harvest. Preparation is an important part of the ceremony of Vinotok – how we arrive at the Autumn Equinox matters! This week you may begin by participating in Walking the Way: A Vinotok Pilgrimage. Altars will be installed by Monday, September 12 with a host of activities to get you ready from journaling and meditating prompts to making staffs and head wreaths. Grump Boxes are out so start thinking of all those things no longer serving you and get them in those boxes! Mark your calendars for the week of festivities (there’s tons of stuff for kids too!) and get your feast tickets before they sell out. We’re also seeking volunteers and cast members to help put on the celebrations. We do this for you, our community, come be a part!

Community Feast Tickets on Sale!

This year we again present the Community Feast & Medieval Fair at the Crossroads Fire Circle as our culminating event on Thursday, September 22 – the actual Autumn Equinox. Step into a world between worlds at the Medieval Fair. The whole Vinotok cast will be there in their full regalia – stilt walkers, the Dragon and the Knight, the Green Man, Forest Creatures and more! Doors open at 3 p.m. so you may come make a head wreath, get body art, draw a rune for the year, banish your grumps and beckon your desires by making community prayer flags. Liquor tent opens with our cash bar at 5 p.m. with our special Vinotok Village wine by Buckel Family Wines sold by the glass or bottle; plus mead, hard apple cider and beer by the glass. At 5:30 p.m. the ceremonies begin with an All-Community Handfasting Ceremony with Marcie Telander, D.Div where couples, families, friends, partners and the entire community re-commit for a healthy, transforming future dedicated to each other and the earth. Following the ceremony, our feast of seasonal, organic, regional and sustainably grown vegetables and meats are served. While you eat, watch the Vinotok Passion Play of the age-old battle between the Earth Dragon and the Knight. After the play we’ll have drumming, dancing, fire-spinning, cauldron fires and ceremonial disposal of our grumps.

Logistics: Rain or shine. This is an outside event. Wear your warm Vinotok best! Bring your own utensils as none are provided, but please no outside alcohol. Bring your patience and an openness to a fluid time schedule – we are a community tribe, not a professional production company. Please note food service time is from 6:30-7:30 p.m. If you have small children and need to bring pre-feast snacks, please do so. We will not be serving food after 7:30 p.m. as the cast must get ready for the play!

Ticket info: Tickets sold in person only at Rumors Coffee & Tea House beginning September 8, and September 18 at the Vinotok Farmer’s Market Booth. There are no online ticket sales nor may you reserve your ticket over the phone. To feast: $30 in advance; $35 at the door; $15 children 12 & under. General Admission (no food): $10. Our delicious food does sell out. An extremely limited number of $10 General Admission tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis at the gate for those who’d like to enjoy the festivities but will not be eating with us. But basically, we encourage you to buy a feast ticket, cuz, you know, eating together is a bonding thing. 

Walking the Way: A Vinotok Pilgrimage 

The self-directed Vinotok Pilgrimage will be fully installed and available beginning Monday, September 12! Altars are found on Elk Avenue, the fringes of town, and out into the wild. Find one altar and you’re on your way as each altar hosts a map, “How to Pilgrimage” information, mythology on the archetype of the altar, and a special corresponding activity. In visiting all the altar stops along the way, you’ll collect all the materials you need to conduct an inspiring and contemplative Vinotok. Meet characters such as the Green Man, Harvest Mother, Earth Dragon and the Knight. Activities range from making a head wreath or staff, a “Marrying the Land” ceremony, meditation and journal prompts, and special Grumps & Gratitudes forms. In the spirit of reciprocity with the land, you are invited to bring a small offering to each altar. You may also find suggestions for appropriate offerings, maps, all supplemental mythological and activity information at www.vinotok.org. A great kid activity with tons of fun art projects! (good for adults too).

Vinotok Altars are generously sponsored by Black Tie Ski Rentals, Mountain Earth, the Eldo, Slogar, Talk of the Town, the Breadery, Dogwood, Teocalli Tamale, Secret Stash, Kochevar’s, Mountain Spirits, Rooted Apothecary, Retail Therapy, Bonez, Mountain Tails, Magda Drewnowski, CPA and the T-Bar.

The Crossroads Fire Circle

The Crossroads Fire Circle at the Four-Way is the center point for our community’s celebrations and the site of a magnanimous public art installation created by Vinotok Grump Master and Visionary Artkitect Joe Bob Merritt. It will be installed by Friday, September 16 with the community coming together to decorate it with flowers and greenery at the free event, Adornment of the Fire Circle. The Grump itself will come to rest in his home for the week during the new event (also free) of the Dark Night of Dedication of the Grump on Saturday, September 17. Come interact with the Crossroads Fire Circle and the Grump itself throughout Vinotok Week from Friday, September 16 through the Community Feast on Thursday, September 22. Bring flowers and greenery to decorate the Fire Circle. Walk the Labyrinth to place your grumps directly into the Grump itself, or into the secured Grump Shrine. Then hang your Beckoning Prayer Flag. Altar activities on the Vinotok Pilgrimage culminate at the Crossroads Fire Circle.

Adornment of the Fire Circle. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Crossroads Fire Circle. Free. 

Here is where the Grump, bearing all the grievances of the day, is arraigned during the Grump Procession & Dedication. It is the place we walk the labyrinth, and leave our grumps to be transformed in the fire. It is the focal point around which our Community Feast & Medieval Fair oscillates. It must be festooned! Join your community and lend a hand in decorating and adorning the Fire Circle with flowers and greenery in preparation for the week of festivities. Great for kids.

Dark Night of Dedication of the Grump: 8:30 p.m. Outside the Mallardi. Free.

After the Myth, Meaning & Ritual event beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Vinotok Theatre Troupe processes the Grump to the Crossroads Fire Circle in torchlight where he is charged with the grievances of the world, and offered gratitude for his sacrifice. A somber night of ceremony and spectacle with performances by the women of the community. Please bring an offering such as a flower or herb bundle to help adorn the Grump, as well as your paper grumps you’d like to leave at the Fire Circle. Please note this is not a bonfire event.

Banishing & Beckoning

Grump Boxes Are Out!

Got some grievances and gripes weighing you down? Get rid of them in the Grump Boxes! Grump Boxes found throughout town at the Crested Butte Post Office, Mountain Earth, Rumors Coffee & Tea House, Mountain Spirits, Ace Hardware, Secret Stash, Kochevar’s, Talk of the Town, Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, The Daily Dose and the Vinotok Renaissance Booth at the Crested Butte Farmer’s Market (9/18). Grump Boxes will be collected Wednesday, September 22. You may also submit your grumps at the Grump Shrine at the Crossroads Fire Circle anytime Vinotok Week, including the Community Feast. Grumps will be ceremoniously disposed of at the feast. Great for kids.

Make a Prayer Flag!

After banishing those grumps come beckon what you do want with a Beckoning & Blessing Prayer Flag. Cut an 8 x 11 rectangle out of any kind of green cloth you can find. Leaving two inches at the top, decorate your rectangle with blessings and beckonings. These could be wishes, pleas and visions for the community and for the planet as we move forward into a brighter future. Decorate with markers, paint, sewn objects, beads, bits of fabric – whatever strikes your creativity. Then, visit the Crossroads Fire Circle at the Four-Way Stop and hang your Beckoning & Blessing Prayer Flag on the line provided. Vinotok will fasten all of our Beckoning & Blessing Prayer Flags together to hang at the Phoenix at the top of Elk after the celebrations, rising from the flames of transformation, to call in balance, reciprocity and goodness for our community and the world. Great for kids.

Full Schedule of Events

Monday, September 12 – Friday, September 23

Walking the Way: A Vinotok Pilgrimage. On Elk, the fringes of town and into the wild. Free. Make your way through all 18 public art installations with archetypal mythology and accompanying activities. Great for kids.

Friday, September 16

Moving through the Archetypes: An Embodied Yoga Practice. 12-1:30 p.m. Totem Pole Park. $10. With certified yoga instructor Ashley King with poses and flow exploring the energy of Vinotok.

Adornment of the Fire Circle. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Crossroads Fire Circle at the Four-Way. Free. 

Festoon the center of our celebrations with flowers and greenery! Great for kids.

Saturday, September 17

Vinotok – Myth, Meaning & Ritual: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Mallardi Cabaret Theatre. $10. Learn about the history, mythological archetypes and significance behind the celebrations with founder and Godmother Marcie Telander.

Dark Night of Dedication of the Grump: 8:30 p.m. Outside the Mallardi Cabaret Theatre. Free.

The Grump is processed by the host of Vinotok characters in torchlight to the Fire Circle where he is ceremoniously arraigned.

Sunday, September 18 – Sunday of the Sacred Feminine

Celebration of the Harvest Mother. Vinotok Booth 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with performance at High Noon. Crested Butte Farmer’s Market. Free. Forest creatures and Spirit Walkers honor our Harvest Mother, Peace Wheeler. Great for kids.

Flight of Dragons Children’s Event. Harvest Mother Stage. Immediately following the Harvest Mother Celebration. Crested Butte Farmer’s Market. $10. Calling all kids! Costume up and come be a dragon with storytelling, face painting and more.

The Goddess’ Red Tent: 6-8 p.m. Wise Acre (160 Lower Allen Road). $10. A bonding woman’s evening with embodied movement, storytelling, discussions and mythology.

Monday, September 19

The Botsie Spritzer Memorial Liar’s Contest:  Doors at 7 p.m., party begins at 8:30 p.m. Lies begin at 9 p.m. at Kochevar’s. $10. Our most raucous evening as community members entertain with tall tales and whoppers and we announce the Green Man.

Tuesday, September 20

Frank Orazem Memorial Storytelling Evening: 7:30-9 p.m.at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. $10. We proudly welcome Lipstick as our “back when” storyteller!

Thursday, September 22 – The Autumn Equinox

Community Feast & Medieval Fair: Doors open at 3 p.m. at the Crossroads Fire Circle with headwreath, body art and rune booths – a great time for kids (and adults!). Community Feast features regional, organic food and wine, mead and beer. Performances of the Handfasting Ceremony, Passion Play, fire spinning and cauldron fires. Performances begin at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. To feast: $30 in advance, on sale at Townie Books beginning September 8; $35 at the door; $15 children 12 & under. General Admission (limited tickets available, no food, at the door only): $10.

Volunteer! Be a Cast Member!

All Cast Volunteer Meeting: Monday, September 12. 5:30 p.m. at Rainbow Park

We still have some cast positions still available – Flagbearers, Ninja Cast, Harvest Mother Celebrants all needed! Artists and anyone who feels they have some sort of “circus art” (i.e., stilt walking, belly dancing, what else ya’ got?) should also come to this meeting. Additionally called are musicians (drummers, flutists, trumpeters, etc.). This is a commitment to community. Please note all cast members contribute importantly and significantly to the production of all Vinotok events, including the Community Feast. Bring warm layers, food and drink, and be prepared to be there for the rest of the night (this is more of an experience than a meeting).

Community Volunteer Meeting: Tuesday, September 13. 5:30 p.m. at Rainbow Park

Help make the magic happen! Vinotok seeks General Community Volunteers! Gather greenery to decorate venues or help set up, implement and break down events. In particular, we need a heap of volunteers for our culminating event, the Community Feast and Medieval Fair. Shifts are only two hours each, so you can fully participate in all the evening’s activities. We need cooks, servers, ticket takers and folks to help with our Green Team’s zero waste efforts with compost and recycling. You can help run our Fair Booths with body art, headwreath making and prayer flag crafting. We need help setting up and breaking down.

Contact Anna Fenerty at 970-901-7122 or [email protected] for any questions or to figure out your perfect spot.