Sep 04 - 07 2026
What is Wild West Fest?
Since 1991, the Sheridan Arts Foundation raises funds each year to bring 35-45 youth from Boys & Girls Clubs from around the country to Telluride for a week of nurturing, child-centered mentorship programs and fascinating cultural experiences. Each year, the kids get to experience wonderful adventures like horseback riding, traversing Telluride’s breathtaking landscapes, and participating in life-changing experiences in our beautiful box canyon.
Children travel from cities across the United States to participate alongside regional youth. The Sheridan Arts Foundation covers all costs of the program for each child which comes out to more than $2,000 per child. As costs continue to rise, our fundraising goal for this program is now $75,000-$80,000.
Child sponsors donate $2,000 or more to cover the cost of the week for a child. With their tax-deductible donation, child sponsors will receive:
- Invitation to participate in the cowboy breakfast at the legendary Schmid Ranch
- Invitation to the patron BBQ in honor of Mary Barrett Stevens at Camel Valley Ranch in Ridgway
- Invitation to line dancing lessons and Sean DeLand & The Western Slope live in concert at the Sheridan Opera House
- A thank-you note from their sponsored child
- A tax letter to the extent allowed by law
Please click on the button at the top of the page to become a child sponsor.
We also are dependent on corporate sponsorships. If your business is not able to make a monetary donation, we are always looking for local restaurants to donate a meal, activities that help us expose kids to the western culture of Telluride, and lodging companies that can donate a condo for the week.
Watch this video to learn more about the program
SHARE OUR COMMUNITY & THE FRONTIER SPIRIT
Here in Telluride, we enjoy many privileges, and Wild West Fest is a chance to share our community with kids who can really benefit from what it has to offer. This is our chance to open our town and our hearts to kids who don’t call this wonderful place home. The goal of the Sheridan Arts Foundation every year is to provide an esteem-building experience for each child that allows them to challenge themselves in a supportive and non-competitive environment.
For many of these kids, this trip to Telluride marks their first time out of their home cities, their first time on an airplane, their first real vacation or first summer camp experience. Kids who come to the Wild West Fest learn about themselves, the world, and the possibilities that exist.
2026 ITINERARY
Monday, June 1: Welcome! Kids arrive to Telluride and get ready for an exciting week of adventures.
Tuesday, June 2: Horseback Riding Day! We will be partnering with Horseback Adventures and Grace Reins Equine Therapy for a full day of horseback riding followed by a pizza party and movie night.
Wednesday, June 3: Big Mountain Adventures Day! Kids will traverse over either Imogene Pass or Last Dollar Road on Telluride Outside’s oversized Jeeps, and wrap up the morning with time at Ouray Hot Springs. We end the day at Camel Valley Ranch in Ridgway with a huge BBQ in honor of Mary Barrett Stevens, fly fishing on the pond, and tons of fun with Camel Valley Ranch’s animals (including two double-hump camels)!
Thursday, June 4: Homestead Day! Kids and patrons are invited to the historic Schmid Ranch for a cowboy breakfast and time to explore the ranch. After hiking, meeting barn animals, and learning about homestead life in Telluride’s early days, participants will explore Telluride, ride the gondola, and bop around town. That evening, we will treat them to a nice dinner at Rustico Ristorante.
Friday, June 5: Telluride Roundup Day! OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Participants invite the town of Telluride to rendezvous at Oak Street Park and Elks Park to enjoy stagecoach, rides, live music, Native American dancing, face painting, carnival games, an old-western photo booth, and a live-action bank robbery with a nickel drop. The week concludes with free line dancing lessons and a concert at the Sheridan Opera House (open to the public). The Roundup will take place from 11am-4pm, with stagecoach rides from 12pm-3pm, and live music by Western Medicine at 1pm and 3pm. The Sheridan Opera House will be open for line dancing lessons at 7pm, followed by Sean DeLand & The Western Slope live in concert.
Saturday, June 6: The kids will depart from Telluride after a magical week of Telluride adventures!
32 Years of History
Founder, Sandra Carradine
In 1991, Sandra and Keith Carradine held a Wild West Roundup at Carsten’s Ranch with celebrity friends like Mel Gibson, Rodney Crowell and Brian Dennehy to raise the much-needed funds to save the historic Sheridan Opera House from demolition and establish the Sheridan Arts Foundation, the 501(c)(3) non-profit that owns and operates the opera house. During the Roundup, the idea to share the beauty and culture of Telluride with youth from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America was born.
The Carradines and the Sheridan Arts Foundation officially kicked off the program with Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver skiing with gold medalist Franz Klammer with the help of community member Mickey Salloway and his relationship with Telluride Ski and Golf.
In 1995, WWF moved to the fall when twenty-eight kids and seven counselors from Farmington, Denver and the Ute reservation participated. Youth worked in mentorships with Daryl Hannah (pictured above) in drama, Rodney Crowell in songwriting and professional rodeo cowboy Larry Mahan in horseback riding. The week included a cutting event with participation from Ralph Lauren’s ranch to raise awareness for the program.
Christie Brinkley and Richard Taubman
The next few years included Daryl Hannah hosting the entire week, celebrity cutting events with Christie Brinkley, performances from the Supremes, and expanding the program to include 35 kids from various Boys and Girls Clubs of America including Atlanta. Other celebrities like Mac Davis, Rickie Lee Jones, Peter Bogdanovich, Franz Weber, pro golfer Peter Kostis and Dennis Weaver all donated their time in the late 1990s.
Kids participated in the beloved Main Street parade alongside the Riata Ranch Cowgirls when the program was moved to the Fourth of July. Featuring Kansas Carradine, the kids and Cowgirls demonstrated their show-stopping trick riding and roping skills. With corporate sponsorships including Coca-Cola (still a sponsor today) and Chevy Trucks, participants grew to as many as 50 kids and included Telluride locals.
In 1998, beloved father, friend and Wild West Fest supporter Chip Allen tragically passed away. The Sheridan Arts Foundation honored his devotion to Wild West Fest by officially naming the three-day skill-building program that pairs WWF youth with experts in their field the Chip Allen Mentorship Program, or CAMP.
Namesake of CAMP, Chip Allen
Chip’s daughter Ann shares,
“Chip Allen was a man of character and integrity who always had a smile on his face. He was a wonderful father and inspiration to many young children and adults. He always believed in providing opportunities for kids from all backgrounds. We are honored that his legacy will continue with the Chip Allen mentorship program at the Sheridan Opera House.”
In 2003, Wild West Fest was moved to the first week of June making it easier to obtain the necessary lodging and services donated by local businesses. Other than a two-year hiatus during COVID, the SAF continues to bring kids from all over the country and the region for a week of empowering experiences and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The SAF hopes to continue for another 30 years.
The Sheridan Arts Foundation ensures that kids attend at no cost to their families. The SAF has taken on the task of providing all lodging, meals and activities for the week, at a cost of approximately $75,000 annually. This substantial fundraising goal is achieved largely by generous contributions made by our local, regional and national patrons and granting foundations.
Wild West Fest has been supported in the past by grants from Colorado Creative Industries, The PeyBack Foundation, The Telluride Foundation, CCAASE and the Just for Kids Foundation. Each $2,000 raised covers the cost of welcoming one child to the Wild West Fest which does not account for the significant time spent by staff in planning and executing the week.
What Past Participants Say About Our Program:
Support youth from Boys & Girls clubs across the country.
Bring them to Telluride for a week of nurturing, child-centered mentorship programs and fascinating cultural experiences.
