As the sun sets and twilight descends upon Cortez on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery will slowly but surely fill its space with fun.
Vic and Gail Vanik, Four Seasons owners, feel the holidays are a time to celebrate and to give back to the community.
It takes us a couple of weeks to set this all up, Vic says, as he walks around the room filled with a forest of Christmas trees.
We have a reindeer tree, Santa Claus tree, Southwestern tree, Western tree, snowflake tree, hunting tree ..., Vanik says while showing the different ornaments displayed on each evergreen.
He points out a tree that stands upside down: That ones a favorite with the kids.
And his best-selling tree is decorated with miniature, brush-fiber animals and grapevines wound into ornaments. But as far as Thursdays fundraiser goes, the list of décor that Four Seasons presents is only the beginning.
Its not just all about us, Vanik says. Everybody thats in the community is working together to make it happen.
Four Seasons empties its showrooms, nursery and store fronts in late October to prepare for its holiday seasons, which are busy with workshops, parties and sales.
From the irrigation fixtures about 14 feet above to the concrete floors, staff washes the main building down with water hoses and decorates with evergreens, lights, a soundstage with serious amps and spotlights for the Taste of the Seasons fundraiser.
We have showcasers: Its going to have lots of different booths, showcase booths who actually tell people why their food is good, Vanik says of the spotlighted stations of restaurateurs who give away food throughout the evening.
Shilohs brings prime rib every year, he says.
Those who will be showcasing foods are Carlas Kitchen, Mr. Happys Bakery & Cafe, Shiloh Steak House and Southwest Memorial Hospital. Well have everything from pizza to prime rib, says Gail Vanik, the brain trust behind Taste of the Seasons.
Other restaurants that donate food for Taste of the Seasons are Dairy Queen, Dominos, Once Upon a Sandwich, Pepperheads and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
Local vineyards participate, too, Gail says. This year, Guy Drew Vineyards will offer wine tastings.
West Slope Liquors also will serve wine, and beer will be on tap from Dolores River Brewery.
I love to go see how Four Seasons is decorated because it puts me in the Christmas spirit, Marie Rogers-Patrick, of Colorado Land Title Company, says of Taste of the Seasons. She has been a regular at the event for the past four years. Lately its been every year, Rogers-Patrick says.
She also mentions the silent auctions as one of her favorite parts of the annual celebration.
Taste of the Seasons gets an extensive list of items for bidding every year, from little to large, practical to pretty and other big-ticket, travel gifts like ski passes, weeks in the Caribbean and cabin stays on West Fork.
We get stuff from the Strater Hotel in Durango, Durango Mountain Resort ski passes, Great Lakes Airlines, Gail says, while naming organizations that have donated over the years.
Weve auctioned off handmade crafts, full-size teepees, gasoline and propane tanks and road-base materials, she says. It just depends on the given year.
This year, Frontier Airlines has donated airline tickets. And previous donations include Music in the Mountains Grass Passes for River Durango; art by Jerry Cohoe, who specializes in pencil portraits, painting and prints; and fine, nature photography by Bill Proud.
Taste of the Seasons started as a fundraiser for Helping Hands House of Cortez and Dolores Clubhouse for Youth, both if which have dissolved since Taste of the Seasons inception in 1999. One-hundred percent of ticket sales goes to a childrens fundraiser every year.
This year, United Ways childrens programs in Montezuma County will benefit. United Way has been partnering with Taste of the Seasons for the past four or five years.
Throughout the course of the 12 years, Taste of the Seasons has raised $125,000. This years sponsors include 97.9 Kiss Country, Cortez Journal, First National Bank Cortez, Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery, Lanmark Productions, The New 98.7 KRTZ radio, United Way Agencies and West Slope Liquors.
It really looks like a little, Christmas wonderland in here; its amazing, Fran Marciano, of Four Seasons, says about the celebration.
And the nice thing is that its in a nice location; its got a nice ambience, Vanik says.
This years fundraiser will feature a gardening section with rows of Christmas cactus, cyclamens and seed packets for sale. And, of course, all of Four Seasons stock is for sale the night of the gala. Stock includes Christmas trees, lighting, ornaments, and rows upon rows of trinkets and other decor. But dont ask them if the poinsettias or antique, wood-burning stove is for sale. Those are spoken for.
The Four Seasons biggest event is its Luminaria Night on Dec. 10. It features a visit from Santa Claus, a display of more than 1,500 candle lights and live music performed by bands, a cappella centers and churches.
Its amazing what Vic and Gail do with this place for Christmas-time, Marciano says.
Reach Nathalie Winch at nathaliew@cortezjournal.com.