Rocky Mountain Folk School

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Grand Lake, CO
Rocky Mountain Folk School

RMFS offers year-round, hands-on craft classes and workshops rooted in folk arts and traditional skills in Grand Lake, Colorado.

From woodworking to fiber arts, our programs welcome all skill levels. View upcoming classes and register on our website. Essentially, a folk school is a school that provides skill-based learning of traditional crafts. It’s a place where you can learn a variety of hands-on skills, generally with a focus on creating and teaching [not evaluation], offering a local, place-conscious, educational exper

ience. Emphasis is on learning for learning sake, teaching specific traditional skills, and encouraging lifelong learning. Rocky Mountain Folk School was established in 2022 under the guidance and support of DiAnn Butler, Director Economic Development Grand County Colorado and Ken Fucik, Chairman Grand Lake Creative District, and a small group of volunteers. They wanted to help the community further its creative vibrancy and economic development year-round. As we are within The Grand Lake Creative District, we have benefitted with a grant for development of a logo, website and non-profit filing status, as well as technical advice. Furthermore, we have been supported by the Town of Grand Lake with a grant for pottery equipment as well as lending the use of the Grand Lake Center for classes. Rocky Mountain Folk School is a registered nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 status.

08/31/2026

End of summer has a way of turning garages inside out. If yours is one of them, we've got a place for the tools & materials you're ready to part with.

Our silversmithing program at Rocky Mountain Folk School is growing, and we're looking for donations to outfit the studio:
• A heavy-duty mountable bench vise
• Anvils - any & all
• Hammers of all shapes and sizes
• Large wooden stumps for mounting

These are the bones of a working metal shop, and the kind of thing that tends to sit unused for years before someone finally puts it to work again. That someone could be a first-time student learning to shape silver right here in Grand Lake, Colorado.

If you have any of these tucked away and want to see them used again, let us know in the comments. We're grateful for whatever the community can send our way. ⚒️

08/28/2026

Ever wonder what happens inside the Grand Spirit Makerspace at Rocky Mountain Folk School in Grand Lake, Colorado? Last weekend was woodworking and silversmithing. This weekend it's leatherworking & silversmithing!

You don't need an appointment or any experience. Our volunteers will show you around and tell you what's taking shape that day.

And if you leave wanting to be part of it, there's room for you here. We're always looking for people to share a skill, help with a class, or just lend a hand. You can learn about volunteer opportunities and how to get involved on our website - find more info on the comments! 🔨

08/27/2026

The 2026 Columbine Lake Home Tour is selling faster than last year - and last year, tickets sold out! If you've been meaning to get your tickets, this is the nudge: don't miss your chance for a rare look inside these homes.

On Sunday, September 6, from 11am to 2pm, seven homes along the lake open for a self-paced tour. Here's a closer look at two of the seven:

The first is a four-bedroom home of mountain-meets-designer character, where eclectic, imaginative interiors bring together family heirlooms and an impressive collection of textiles and treasures. The views alone are worth the visit, and if you're lucky, you'll spot the owl family that's made it's home in the trees off the soaring decks.

The second home is one of Columbine Lake's newest and largest homes, and an energy-efficient dream. The owners largely designed and oversaw the build before taking on the electrical, plumbing, and most of the interior finishes themselves. The home's soaring shape is built to capture the winter sun, keeping things cozy and temperate indoors and out on the peaceful covered deck.

Inside each home on the tour, you'll find the handcrafted work of Rocky Mountain Folk School instructors on display - a window into the artisan craft being made and taught at the Folk School. Touring these homes is the pleasure of the day, but sustaining RMFS is what your ticket makes possible: every dollar goes directly to the instructors, workshops, and hands-on learning that make it such a gift to Grand Lake.
Three ways to take part:
• Tour Ticket - $25. Entry to all seven homes.
• Tour Poster - $30. A limited-edition 11" x 17" 2026 tour poster.
• Tour Poster + Frame - $45. The poster paired with an 11x17 black-rimmed gallery frame, ready to hang.
If you'd love a poster but can't join us for the tour, write to [email protected]
Tickets are on sale now - and going quickly!
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-columbine-lake-home-tour-tickets

With gratitude to our Headline Sponsor, Mountain Soul Wellness, and to our generous sponsors - Rapids Lodge, Shannon Conry, Realtor, Big horn lodge grand lake Colorado, and the Redman Foundation - whose support makes this year's tour possible.

08/24/2026

Looking for a date that beats dinner and a movie? Spend it at Rocky Mountain Folk School ❤️

At Rocky Mountain Folk School, couples come in to learn something new together - you'll problem-solve side by side, laugh at each other's first attempts, and leave with something you made with your own two hands. It's a memory you get to keep on your shelf (or your finger) long after the date comes to an end.

And why stop at the workshop? Turn it into a full weekend in Grand Lake. Book a cozy place to stay, spend an evening down by the water, work your way through the local restaurants, browse the shops downtown, and set aside time to explore Rocky Mountain National Park right in our backyard.

Couples who create together, stay together. Browse upcoming workshops and start planning your romantic getaway at rockymountainfolkschool.org 🥰

08/21/2026

We're down to the last seat for this one, and it's a good one! 🪵

On August 22 & 23, Rocky Mountain Folk School is bringing Jason Baldwin to Grand Lake for a two-day woodturning workshop - a full weekend at the lathe learning bowl and spindle turning from someone who really knows the craft. Jason works with Stuart Batty Tools and the School for Woodturning down in Boulder, and his whole approach comes down to working smarter instead of harder: cleaner cuts, less sanding, and a lot less fighting the wood.

You'll be turning freshly cut green wood in this class, not dry, seasoned stock, and there's a real reason for it. Green wood is softer and easier to cut, throws far less dust, and comes off the gouge in long curling ribbons instead of chips. It's a satisfying way to learn, and it pairs perfectly with what Jason teaches: his push-cut technique built around the 40/40 bowl gouge grind, negative rake scraping for a refined surface that cuts your sanding time way down, and the spindle fundamentals behind beads, coves, and cylinders - skills that carry into everything from table legs to handles.

If you've ever watched a bowl take shape and thought "I'd love to try that", this is how you start. If it's calling to you, call now to register - (970)531-1395!

08/20/2026

It's a rare look inside the homes of Columbine Lake, but a look inside one family's story of rebuilding.

When the East Troublesome fire destroyed the cabin that once stood on this lot, a family chose to begin again. Three generations - a mother, her daughter, and her grandson - bought the land together and built their dream mountain retreat in its place. Completed in 2025, this custom A-frame log cabin blends modern mountain design with artwork passed down through the family.

It's one of seven homes you're invited to tour on Sunday, September 6, from 11am to 2pm. In each one, you'll find a Rocky Mountain Folk School instructor with examples of their handcrafted work, glad to talk about the classes they teach. There's a quiet kinship between this home and the Folk School's mission: craft made by hand, and passed from one generation to the next. And every ticket goes directly to RMFS, sustaining the instructors, workshops, and hands-on learning that make it such a gift to Grand Lake.

You have three ways to take part:
• Tour Ticket - $25. Entry to all seven homes.
• Tour Poster - $30. A limited-edition 11" x 17" 2026 tour poster.
• Tour Poster + Frame - $45. The poster paired with an 11x17 black-rimmed gallery frame, ready to hang.
Tickets are on sale now: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-columbine-lake-home-tour-tickets

Posters and frame sets may be collected on tour day, September 6, at a location to be announced. If you'd love a poster but can't join us for the tour, write to [email protected] and we'll see that you have one.

With gratitude to our Headline Sponsor, Mountain Soul Wellness, and to our generous sponsors - Rapids Lodge, Shannon Conry, Realtor, Big horn lodge grand lake Colorado, and the Redman Foundation - whose support makes this year's tour possible.

08/18/2026

Announcing a brand-new series at Rocky Mountain Folk School in Grand Lake, Colorado: the Sunday Pottery Series with Justine Sawyer, beginning this Sunday.

Over five Sundays, you'll move through the full ceramic process - from your first pinch of clay to finished, glaze-fired pieces you can take home. New potters start with foundational wheel throwing and handbuilding. Returning students keep building on what they know, refining technique and taking on new projects. Rather than a fixed curriculum, each series shapes itself around the people in the room and what they're hoping to make.

Here's how the sessions unfold: meet Justine and get comfortable in the studio, learn the fundamentals at your own level, develop individual projects with hands-on feedback, explore trimming, surface decoration and glazing, and finally finish your work for its last kiln firing.

Your registration includes five instructor-led sessions, one bag of clay, use of all studio tools and equipment during class, glazing materials, kiln firings, and personalized instruction along the way.

This is a new addition to our programming, and we'd love to see you at the wheel. By the end of the series, you'll understand pottery from forming to glazing, and you may be eligible to apply for Pottery Membership for independent studio access.

Ready to get your hands dirty? Sign up today - find the link in the comments!

08/16/2026

Our annual Buffalo Days Paint & Sip was Friday, and we want to thank everyone who came and painted with us. It's one of our favorite afternoons of the year.

Visiting Grand Lake and want to do something a little different from hiking and the lake? Our classes are open to everyone, no experience needed, and you leave with something you made yourself.

Watercolor and oil pastel are both on the schedule soon - you'll find the dates on our website. You'll find the link in the comments 👇

08/13/2026

The 2026 Columbine Lake Home Tour is a rare look inside the homes of Columbine Lake, and this year, every door you walk through supports the Rocky Mountain Folk School.

On Sunday, September 6, from 11am to 2pm, seven homes along the lake open for a self-paced afternoon tour. In each one, you'll find an RMFS instructor with examples of their handcrafted work, glad to talk about the classes they teach. Touring these beautiful homes is the pleasure of the day, but sustaining the Folk School is what your ticket makes possible. All proceeds go directly to RMFS: the instructors, the workshops, and the hands-on learning that make it such a gift to Grand Lake.

Three ways to take part:
• Tour Ticket - $25. Entry to all seven homes.
• Tour Poster - $30. A limited-edition 11" x 17" 2026 tour poster.
• Tour Poster + Frame - $45. The poster paired with an 11x17 black-rimmed gallery frame, ready to hang.
Posters and frame sets may be collected on tour day, September 6, at a location to be announced. If you'd love a poster but can't join us for the tour, write to [email protected] and we'll see that you have one.
Tickets are on sale now at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-columbine-lake-home-tour-tickets

With gratitude to our Headline Sponsor Mountain Soul Wellness, and to our generous sponsors - Rapids Lodge, Shannon Conry, Realtor, Big horn lodge grand lake Colorado, and the Redman Foundation whose support makes this year's tour possible.

08/11/2026

Some boots are made for walking. These are made for framing! 🎨

This Friday, Rocky Mountain Folk School is hosting our Buffalo Days Paint & Sip at the Grand Lake Center.

All skill levels are welcome - our instructor takes you through every step. Bring friends, bring your imagination, and head home with something you made to remember the best weekend of the year in Grand Lake, Colorado!
*must be 21+ to imbibe

Want to join us? You'll find the registration link in the comments! 🦬

Address

315 Pitkin Street
Grand Lake, CO
80447

Website

https://rockymountainfolkschool.org/

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