Steamboat Magazine

Skip to main content 06/03/2026 09:29AM ● By Doug Labor Right now in Steamboat, it only takes a quick drive around town to get a feel for the real estate market. Nearly everywhere you look, there are new developments - some just coming out of the ground, while others are putting on the finishing touches. By the time summer hits, more residential construction will be underway than ever before, and most of these are residences geared for affluent consumers.

The mural in the alley off Eighth Street in downtown Steamboat Springs was painted by Dan Toro. Photo by Ben Duke. While summer in Steamboat Springs is renowned for outdoor adventure and mountain scenery, the town's thriving art scene offers another way to experience the culture of the Yampa Valley. Museums and Galleries A highlight of the season is Steamboat Art Museum’s summer exhibition featuring the national exhibition of the Oil Painters of America.

Photos by Deborah Olsen. Fifty-six days may be all gardeners have to bring blossoms to fruition in Steamboat Springs’ short growing season, but plenty of showy flowers flourish in this high montane environment. With careful planning, gardens can bloom from late spring into early fall. Try these alpine-friendly flowers. 1. Lupine - A couple plants placed in loamy soil where cool temps and sunshine are plentiful can lead to fields full of lupine for years to come.

Photos courtesy of Vadi Rahmani. The Farmers Market officially kicks off for the season on Saturday, June 6. As you browse, look out for new vendor, Vadi's Goodies. Vadi will be selling Mediterranean dips and sides, all made nearby in Clark, CO using organic ingredients. Think: silky smooth hummus, smoky baba ganoush, warm homemade pita bread and crisp pickled vegetables. We chatted with Vadi ahead of the first market. Steamboat Magazine: What are you looking forward to this Farmers Market season?

Collin Van Son: I’ve been writing plays for about 10 years now. I started doing it when I was in college at Penn State. I went to school as a physics major with literally no creative writing background of any sort. But when I was at school, a good friend of mine strong-armed me into joining the theater club. That was a brave new world for me. I never enjoyed public speaking but I gave it a shot and really enjoyed acting in our student-run productions.

"Ouroboros," Jude Fesperman. Imagine being  a young adult in today’s world, with its incomparable challenges and innumerable possibilities. Students in Steamboat Springs High School’s Advanced Placement art classes express their points of viewt hrough their fresh, bold artwork. Jude Fesperman “My central theme in my AP Studio Art class is how addiction changes and affects a person,” Jude Fesperman explains.

Carved from Indiana limestone, “The Northern Ute Bear Dancers” depicts male and female Ute Tribal members participating in the annual spring ceremony shared among the three Ute Tribal Nations. Installed in Civic Plaza, in the heart of downtown Steamboat, the sculpture serves not only as a striking public artwork, but a permanent acknowledgment of the Yampa Valley’s original stewards.

The company’s upcoming “Celebration of Opera" event, “Pirates and Arias,” brings together an abridged version of “The Pirates of Penzance," and a selection of arias and ensemble pieces from opera and musical theater. Presented in two parts with a short intermission, the evening is designed to be approachable, offering both familiar storytelling and a range of musical styles in a single performance. It also marks a first for the organization.

“Who would choose to protect their land forever?” – Chula Beauregard For Chula Beauregard, a sixth-generation Coloradan, longtime Steamboat local and acclaimed oil impressionist painter, the question lingered – about land, about legacy and about the people behind those decisions. “I wanted to appreciate them and shine a light on what they’re doing, because it really does benefit all of us,” she says.

Past: “Bear Dancers” – Orland Joe Orland Joe’s “Bear Dancers” honors Steamboat’s past through imagery rooted in nature and cultural storytelling. A Navajo (Diné) and Ute sculptor, Orland blends traditional symbolism with contemporary artistic expression, often depicting animals and figures in motion. The bear dancers evoke strength and rhythm, reflecting the region’s heritage and connection to the land.