Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Several local organizations have banded together to host Ranch Rendezvous Days Saturday at Gondola Plaza.

The event celebrates Routt County's western and agricultural heritage. Sponsors include the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp., the Community Agriculture Alliance, Routt County CattleWomen and KBCR.

Ranch Rendezvous Days is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Events planned include music, dancing, food, hat shaping, educational demonstrations, riding, roping and booths for all ages. The CattleWomen will offer beef samples. There will be donkeys, sheep, and goats available for a petting zoo.

Routt County Woolens will showcase its wool blankets. A draft horse team will provide rides at the base of the mountain, while local ropers will offer instructions on how to throw a loop.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to partner our ski resort and agriculture industry," said Jen Morrow, executive director of the Community Agriculture Alliance. "It is a great way to showcase our heritage as well as livelihoods of yesterday and today."

The Yampa Valley has a rich agriculture history. As recently as the 1940s, the area economy was driven by livestock and coal mining. Lettuce and potatoes were important crops.

Today, agriculture remains a significant part of the economy, primarily in the form of sheep and cattle ranching and hay and wheat production.

For more information about Ranch Rendezvous Days, call the Community Agriculture Alliance at 879-4370 or visit the Web site, www.yampavalleyag.com.