In September of 2016, the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) held its first Breakfast with Balloons and thus began a yearly fall tradition until 2023. This year we resume our cherished tradition as once again balloons will rise from mid-downtown as part of ColorFest.
Again our nonprofit invites the community to join us along the San Juan River in Centennial Park for a delicious, locally sourced breakfast with bubbly mimosas and live music as we watch the event unfold with bright colorful balloons against the early morning sky.
And it will be early on September 20; join us from 7:30 – 9:30am at the amphitheater on the GGP site.
Tickets are available now online at pagosagreen.org. Until September 10 they are $50 each. After that date, they will be $55. Act now, save some money and be assured of a ticket. Seating is limited and tickets will go fast.
Sponsorship of the event is also available, offering local businesses and individuals the opportunity to provide an extra boost. Please consider joining as one of our event sponsors with a choice of levels, each with its own increasing benefits: Ground Crew Support at $100; Lift-Off Partners Support at $250; High Flyer Sponsor at $500. Details regarding the different levels are on available at pagosagreen.org
The year 2016 marked another important event: the groundbreaking for our first dome, followed in the next two years by domes two and three. That’s seven to nine years of Colorado extreme weather, and the domes have done well, but now it is time for some extensive and costly maintenance estimated at $20,000.
A crew is busy now replacing screws, fans, motors, insulation, panels that have suffered hail damage and the aircraft tape that seals the polycarbonate sections. Cones and yellow tape will signal work in progress.
The three domes and their embodiment of our mission — to educate the community in sustainable agricultural practices by producing food year-round using local renew- able energy — located on the Riverwalk in Centennial Park are a huge draw to our community and our natural resource. Tourists stop by, ask questions and take information back to their communities.
National media are also drawn to feature our project. Subscribers to the Washington Post could recently read the article of July 19 titled “Geothermal Greenhouse Growing tomatoes through cold winters.” The recent RMPBS news video “Turning heat into vegetables: the geothermal gardens of Pagosa Springs” is currently on our website. Take a look.
Breakfast with Balloons is a critical fundraiser for the GGP, and the income from ticket sales and sponsorship will support the maintenance work that is now under way. A small grant from the Ballantine Family Fund of Durango and the income from last year’s film festival will also help.
Now Breakfast with Balloons is an opportunity for the community to contribute to a thriving all-volunteer endeavor that speaks well of Pagosa Springs.
For more information, see pagosagreen.org, email info@pagosaspringsggp.org or call (719) 641-0255.