Guests from all over the country come to Creede after the 4th of July to kick back and make beautiful wooden masterpieces during the annual Woodcarver’s Rendezvous.

CREEDE— Summer is in full swing in Creede and with the Fourth of July celebrations on Thursday, the town is also getting ready for the annual Woodcarvers Rendezvous. The event is celebrating its 28th year in Creede and have something special in store for those who wish to learn the art of woodcarving from talented instructors from around the nation.
The event began 28 years ago when founders Fran and Ivan Vanaken, who after years of teaching the art of woodcarving in schools to students, thought Creede would be the perfect place to start a woodcarving club. According to the history, Fran invited members of another club based out of the Front Range to the area to see if they were interested in hosting an event in Creede. It didn’t take long for word to spread about the unique venue and beautiful location. The event has been a favorite in the area ever since.
This year’s event will feature over 30 instructors that come from all walks of life to teach the art of woodcarving to participants. The event takes place in the Underground Community Center located north of town where instructors and vendors will pack the long corridors with a wide variety of wooden homemade gifts and classes for participants.
The event begins on Saturday, July 13 and continues all week long with live and silent auctions, classes, lectures from several instructors, daily drawings and ends with a banquet to close out the week. The event is made possible through the auction items that are donated by participating artists that come to not only share their expertise in the art of woodcarving but to share their personal works of art as well.
Students that register for the event can learn everything from carving walking sticks to mastering the art of creating wood figures with a chisel. Participants learn how to make Christmas ornaments, wooden drums, wood burning techniques and so much more. There are even classes that teach the art of stone carving, jewelry making, water color painting and bead crocheting.
Though the event has slowed over the last few years, with fewer participants, event coordinators are preparing for a much more successful year and ask that anyone wishing to participate in any of the classes, pre-register online or do walk-in registration during the week. Registration for any leftover openings in the many classes being offered will be available on the first day of the event.
Not only do visitors come to learn new art forms, they stay to enjoy the many shops in and around Creede, take time to enjoy the outdoor recreation opportunities and visit the Creede Repertory Theatre. The Ladies Aid Bazaar will be taking place at the old gym on July 18 and 19. The bazaar is a great place to go in between woodcarving classes to find a special gift or something needed around the home. Participants of all ages are sure to find something to do for the entire week, so don’t miss out and register now!
For a full class schedule or to pre-register for the event, please visit www.creedewoodcarvers.com.