Community Spotlight | Sleds and Kegs
In our 2024 winter and spring Bluebird Days Magazine, we highlighted Sleds and Kegs, a local initiative born in 2015. This celebration encapsulates the essence of Crested Butte's charm, offering a blend of outdoor playfulness, creativity, and community spirit, all while serving as a fundraising platform for local non-profits. Read the full Community Spotlight below to learn more about Sleds and Kegs, where fun meets philanthropy in the heart of Crested Butte.
Community Spotlight | Sleds and Kegs
By Nancy Bush
There are a lot of things that make Crested Butte unique and magical; it possesses a counterculture framed by athletes, nature-lovers, freethinkers, artists, musicians and entrepreneurs unconstrained by societal norms. These creatives form the heart of the community. As Crested Butte grows and faces the challenges that come with that growth, there is an event dedicated to maintaining and celebrating that true, original Crested Butte vibe – Sleds and Kegs. Hosted each Spring in the Town of Crested Butte, Sleds and Kegs is a local event and fundraiser like no other – created by locals for locals. It’s an 8-hour party, with a carved out sledding luge and ski and snowboard jump, outrageous costumes, DJs, fantastic food and drink, dancing, human sledding chains spiriting down the course, fire dancers, face painters, and big air competitions. If you haven’t been, it’s the epitome of Crested Butte – outdoor playfulness and free-spirited fun! Many locals call it the most fun day of the year!
Sleds and Kegs was started in the Spring of 2015 by co-founders Trevor Bona and Neil Opalinski, after Neil lost his beloved dog, Mac. Trevor and Neil had previously talked about building their own sled course and inviting friends, but with the loss of Mac, that idea was kicked into full gear in Mac’s memory. The first Sleds and Kegs for Mac in 2015 was a success! Trevor and Neil built their first sledding luge, offered food and drink, and set out a donation jar to help cover the costs. What they realized is that people came, people loved it, and there was extra money to give to others.
Over the years, Sleds and Kegs has grown from a few local friends attending in 2015 to over 600 attendees last year. Trevor and Neil’s very first charitable donation from Sleds and Kegs was $2,000 to Oh Be Dogful Rescue in Crested Butte, a non-profit that fosters homeless animals, in honor of Mac. Moving forward, in 2023, they raised and donated $25,000 to local non-profits in the Gunnison Valley, including Oh Be Dogful Rescue, CB State of Mind, Coal Creek Watershed Coalition, Wild Peaks Adventure Program and Mental Madness. CB State of Mind and Mental Madness also had tables set up at last year’s event, to reach out to anyone in need of, and to bring awareness to, their mental health services.
Sleds and Kegs also gives annually to both the Charlie Parr Outdoor Education Scholarship and the PCK Memorial Scholarship, both formed in memory of, and with love for, Crested Butte locals, Charlie Parr and Paden Castles Kelley. In fact, Sleds and Kegs made the first installment of $2,000 to Paden Castles Kelley’s Crested Butte Sports Foundation Scholarship in memory of Paden’s work as a ski instructor on the mountain.
Sleds and Kegs also has the support of several local sponsors, including Ace Hardware, Zuni Street Brewing Company, Irwin Brewery, Rocky Mountain Cannabis, Log Dawgs Wiener Wagon, CB Inferno Fire Dancers, and many DJs, including Slippin’ Jimmy, Deezy Le Phunk, Beat Kitty, P Lilly and Walter Balltell.
Founder Trevor Bona, Realtor at Bluebird Real Estate in Crested Butte and Owner of Elevate the Media – a national multi-media videography and photography company, puts countless hours into organizing and implementing Sleds and Kegs every year. Co-founder Neil Opalinski, an avid outdoorsman who grew up riding dirt bikes and ATV’s is the “go-to” with respect to course design. It takes about 100 locals (an average of 5 – 30 people a day) one week to build the course. Those putting in long hours to help with the build get a free ticket!
Trevor describes his work with Sleds and Kegs as one of his proudest accomplishments. “I am an advocate and proud supporter of Crested Butte.” But, for him, the event “is not about just raising money, it’s about creating happiness and a special day where you can let go of all of those adulting, serious elements of life and just enjoy time being a kid with your friends.”
The 8th Annual Sleds and Kegs event will be held March 23, 2024, from 12 PM to 8 PM. You can buy tickets and learn more about Sleds and Kegs at sledsandkegs.com.
View Bluebird Days Volume 12 here.
