Steamboat Pilot & Today

During the rest of the year, you can walk through the past at Tread of Pioneers Museum. But on one day of the year, Tread of Pioneers Museum staff will try to lead you through the looking glass into the way they imagine the Old West to be.

Attendees to the third annual Levis and Lace Western Gala are asked to dress in their best interpretation of the Yampa Valley in the days of the first pioneers.

Costumes can be simple, such as a cowboy hat and a pair of jeans, but many people go all out. Candice Lombardo, executive director at the museum, suggests shopping on eBay for Western costumes that can be purchased for the price of renting.

The Levis and Lace Western Gala is the museum's signature fund-raiser and is held at Storm Mountain Ranch. Local band 3 Wire will supply entertainment this year while people eat, dance and participate in the silent and live auctions.

Auction items include a week stay at a vacation home in Taos, N.M., and several framed historical photographs of Routt County.

Storm Mountain Ranch is a scenic gated community on U.S. Highway 40 at the base of Rabbit Ears Pass. The party will be at the community's Awapa Lodge.

When attendees arrive, they will be greeted by a Ranch Rod--eo presentation put together by Soda Creek Mercantile owner Bill Montag.

After the demonstration, guests will be given a horse-drawn carriage ride to the event site, where they will be greeted by madames and barmaids from the Wild West.

Cocktails and appetizers will be served, followed by a full ranch dinner.

The event is made possible by the Jeff Temple family, who own a home in the Storm Mountain Ranch community.

The money raised at the fund-raiser will go toward the museum's work toward Routt County historical preservation and education.