SUMMER 1996 CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, REFER TO YOUR VACATION PLANNER MARCH 1 - Colorado Powder 8 Championships. 970/453-5000. APRIL 1-30 - Breckenridge Beach Daze. 970/453-6018. 6 - 11th Annual Taste of Breckenridge. 970/453-5970. 7-14 - U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships (tentative). 970/453-5000. 14 - Breckenridge Bump Buffet. 970/453-5000. 20 - Imperial Challenge. 970/453-5000. MAY Memorial Weekend -- Breckenridge Golf Course opens, 970/453-9104; Arts and Crafts Festival, south end of Main Street. 970/453-5637. JUNE June-September - Historical walking and mine tours. Summit Historical Society. 970/453-9022. June-Fall - The Breckenridge Riverwalk Center offers family and cultural events throughout the summer and fall. 970/453-5579. TBA - Summit Mountain Challenge mountain bike race series. 970/453-0995. 6-9 - 9th Annual Steve Watson Golf Classic. 970/453-9679. June 29 - August 17 - Breckenridge Music Festival. 970/453-2120. JULY July-September - Live theater at the Backstage. 970/453-1099. 4 - Independence Day. 970/453-6018 4 - Arts and crafts fair. 970/453-5637. 12-14 - 12th Annual Genuine Jazz in July. 970/453-6018. 12-14 - Mountain Community Fair. 970/668-3595. 19 - Summit Historical Society Gala & Auction. 970/453-9022. AUGUST 7-11 - No Man's Land. 970/453-6018. 10 100th Anniversary Pary at the Briggle House, a restored Victorian cottage with an intimate glimpse of refined and veddy propah mountain living. 970/453-9022. 30 - Summit Foundation Rubber Ducky Race. 970/453-5970 SEPTEMBER Labor Day - Gathering at the Great Divide Arts and Crafts Fair. 970/453-5637. TBA - Fall Classic mountain bike stage race. 970/453-2201. 14 - 15 - Meet the Artists, Riverwalk Center. 970/453-2120. 19-22 - 16th Annual Breckenridge Festival of Film. 970/453-6200. 28-29 - Oktoberfest. 970/453-6018. OCTOBER 4-6 - Breckenridge Ski Club Ski Swap. 970/453-5000. 26 - Boo Ball. Breckenridge Music Institute. 970/453-9142. NOVEMBER Early November - Opening for Breckenridge Ski Resort, weather permitting. 970/453-5000. 27- Dec. 1 - Continental Divide Hot Air Balloon Festival. 970/453-6018. DECEMBER December-January - Live theater at the Backstage. 970/453-0199. 14 - The Lighting of Breckenridge. 970/453-6018. JANUARY Happy 1997! 7-12 - International Snow Sculpture Championships. 970/453-6018. 20-26 - Ullr Fest. 970/453-6018. 23-27 - Breckenridge World Cup Freestyle Classic. 970/453-5000. FEBRUARY 2-4 - Senior Games at the Summit. 970/668-5486. -- 30 -- SUMMERTIME IN BRECKENRIDGE MEANS: GOLFING Our elevation is reputed to make your golf balls soar up to 15 % farther on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Breckenridge Golf Club, the only Nicklaus-signature municipal course in the world. Course traditionally opens on Memorial Weekend and remains open until late fall under the watchful eye of Pro Erroll Miller. 970/453-9104. BIKING Hundreds of miles of off-road trails and abandoned mining roads provide plenty of scenery and thrills for any level mountain biker, and well over 40 miles of paved bike path meander around the area and over the pass to Vail. Summit County Mountain Bike Hotline, 970/453-4636 (INFO), then push #FATT. HIKING Two hundred miles of trails invite hiking enthusiasts to discover the incredible terrain of the Central Rockies. Any route you choose will likely take you through backcountry forests, up steep hillsides, along a rushing stream and to the banks of a remote alpine lake. CAMPING Summit County boasts 315,00 acres of National Forest land, with 313 designated camp sites in the Dillon Reservoir area. There are no designated campgrounds in Breckenridge, although there is "dispersed camping" which allows camping outside official grounds. General rules are camping 100 feet away from streams, pack in and pack out, bury all waste. National Reservations, 800/280-2267 (CAMP); Dillon Ranger District (overseer of 80 percent of Summit County National Forest), 970/468-5400. HORSEBACK RIDING Our forefathers came to this area astride horses, and you can find yourself seeing the mountains from the same vantage point as you ride through the undisturbed wilderness. FOUR-WHEELING Sturdy 4-wheelers can take you to remote areas where hidden lakes and streams lie waiting. Numerous companies in town provide vehicles and guides. SAILING/CANOEING Nearby Lake Dillon, with its mountain breezes and incomparable views, provides this relaxing yet challenging pastime. RAFTING Adrenaline your thing? Then climb aboard for a white-water trip through the rapids of the Blue, Colorado, White and Arkansas rivers. Guided tours offer a variety of trips for several levels of river expertise, with free lunch and friendly guides guaranteed. FISHING Miles of streambed, lakeshore, beaver pond and lake fishing can be found in and around Breckenridge. Native cutthroat, along with other stocked trout, live in streams and ponds, and Lake Dillon is known to hide those big browns and rainbows. HISTORICAL TOURS, MUSEUM VISITS AND MINE TOURS Daily excursions take you back in time with visits to historical buildings with a guide from the Summit Historical Society. Spend time in the Edwin C. Carter Natural History Museum and then take a tour underground to see what brought swarms of hardy diggers to this area. 970/453-9022. GOLD PANNING Try it on your own or go with a guide to one of our nearby gold-bearing streams. Call Breckenridge Activities Center for specific information. 970/453-5579. MUSIC AND ART SCENE Visual and tactile grace can be found in Breckenridge's numerous fine art galleries and shops where contemporary, regional, impressionistic, realistic and whimsical themes manifest themselves in paintings, sculptures, prints, photos and jewelry. It's a year-around diversion, too. Great music comes alive during the summer Breckenridge Music Festival, a two-month classical concert series, as well as Genuine Jazz in July, a convergence of some of jazz's greatest musicians. AND WINTER IN BRECKENRIDGE TRANSLATES TO: SKIING With four interconnected mountains, 126 trails serviced by 17 lifts (including four high-speed quads, one triple chair, eight double chairs and four surface lifts), Breckenridge Ski Resort provides one of the most well-rounded ski experiences in all of North America. There is terrain for virtually every level, from beginner to extreme, and lessons, workshops and special events for everyone as well. Lift tickets to Breckenridge are good at its sister areas, Keystone Resort with three mountains of it s own, and Arapahoe Basin, also known as The Legend. You can enjoy great skiing at Breckenridge from early November through early May. Free skiing for seniors. 970/453-5000. SNOWBOARDING Dude! What started as a mere craze a few years back has legion followers, and Breckenridge has a snowboard park with half-pipe just for this discipline. 970/453-5000. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING Now this is Colorado! Glide on skinny skis through backcountry meadows or forested glades, or visit the Breckenridge Nordic Center where 18 kilometers of groomed trails and set track await. Rentals and lessons are available for this invigorating yet tranquil sport. 970/453-6855. ICE SKATING You might not be Wayne Gretsky, but then again so few people are. Enjoy a relaxing glide morning, afternoon or night on the Maggie Pond, where Wayne's World runs more to the likes of you and me. Village at Breckenridge. 970/453-2000. CARRIAGE RIDES Sit back and relax while your guide tells true history and spins colorful tales as you make your way about town in a horse-drawn carriage. It's a delightful way to see the sites, learn the history and make friends with ol' Dobbin. SLEIGH RIDES Ride into the pines and enjoy dinner cooked on a camp stove while one of the area's talented minstrels entertains you. It's a taste of the old times, complete with buffalo robes. SNOWMOBILING Take one of these sleek machines on a guided trip to ghost towns and mining sites for an up-close and personal look at history -- all the while experiencing the wonder of winter. SNOWSHOEING The sport of choice for athletes who want to keep in tip-top condition, snowshoeing is fast becoming the sport of choice for those who just want to take a leisurely walk through the woods -- atop 5 or 6 feet of snow! DOG SLEDDING Feel the thrill of the Iditirod -- on a somewhat smaller scale, of course -- as a team of magnificent sled dogs pull the sled in which you ride through the snowy woods around Breckenridge. It's an exhilaration, pure and simple. ICE FISHING This is for those die-hards who can't get enough fishing during the warm weather months. We hear the trout are huge and the experience worth remembering. HOT AIR BALLOONING This is another year-around experience that provides kaleidoscope views with the changing seasons. In the winter you'll see the snow-blanketed landscape sparkle like a bejeweled crown; the spring blossoms with lovely pastels; summer's rich in love and vibrant in color; and fall is purely spectacular in its neon-hued aspen changing. -- 30 -- crafts fair, the Fall Classic bike race and the Breckenridge Festival of Film, all September events with something to offer all ages, from fine art and collectibles to hobnobbing with filmdom's finest stars, producers and directors -- oh, and strong legs from the biking! Be sure to check your calendar of events and cross-reference with your Vacation Planner for more information on summer in Breckenridge, the warm season. And call our Central Reservations office for information on our special summer packages, a complete vacation package that includes airfare, ground transportation and lodging from several major cities around the country. Breckenridge is located two hours west of Denver International Airport via Interstate 70 and Colo. 9 southbound and two and one-half hours northwest of Colorado Springs via U.S. 24 and Colo. 9 northbound. For information, call 970/453-6018. For reservations, call 1-800-221-1091 or 1-800-800-2732 (BREC). -- 30 -- from guests Robin Sutherland, principal pianist for the San Francisco Symphony, world-renowned pianist Andre Previn and violinist star Nadja Salerno-Sonne nberg. For more information on the Breckenridge Music Festival, call 970/453-9142. THE LODGE AT BRECKENRIDGE Wit the distinction of being the world's highest athletic club and spa, the 10,627-above-sea-level Lodge at Breckenridge boats a fitness center that features individualized training for all levels from former professional body builder Jacqui Evans. Numerous aerobics classes are taught by certified instructors, and the fitness centr also provides body fat testing, nutritional consultation, meditation instruction, therapeutic massage, herbal wraps, facials and body scrubs. Facilities include equipment by Body Master, an indoor lap pool, two indoor hot tubs, sauna, steamroom and tanning beds. In addition to being a fitness center, the Lodge is also (as its name implies) a lodge and restaurant, with the former featuring elegant-rustic decorated rooms and a fine dining restaurant that consistently wins the Taste of Breckenridge. Call 970/453-9300 for information. -- 30 -- some are fine dining in elegantly appointed rooms; some are casually elegant. Prices range from modest to moderate to higher; reviews generally run to the exclamatory. We dare you to try it all. The restaurant guide in the Vacation Planner lists all of Breckenridge's restaurants. NIGHTLIFE/APRES SKI Choose from cozy little bistros where you can dine and sip to outrageous dance floors where you can dip and slide -- and a whole spectrum of night spots in between. Music, dancing, cocktails -- big names, low key, country AND western, rock 'n' roll, blues, reggae, jazz, biker rock, snowboard talk, alternative and juke box. Several clubs bring in national recording artists, and several feature local artists who have numerous albums to their credit. One thing you won't be with the night sc ene in Breckenridge is bored -- there's always something happ'nin'! ETC. Don't forget to check lodging facilities for hot tubs, pools, game rooms and mini golf -- those whose tastes run a little tamer will also find plenty to do in the evenings. -- 30 --