Western Welcomes Nearly 8,000 Visitors for Summer Camps and Conferences

Classes may be out of session at Western Colorado University, but the campus has been anything but quiet this summer as more than 40 camps, conferences, and special events brought nearly 8,000 visitors to town between June and late July.

From sports camps and teacher trainings to music programs, art exhibitions, and a law enforcement conference, Western’s summer schedule is the busiest it’s been in recent years, bringing people from around Colorado to learn, grow, and experience a Gunnison Valley summer.

“Camps are a huge part of how we introduce students and families to Western,” said Kaylee Summers, Western’s Associate Athletic Director of Business Operations. “Campers get to spend several days on campus, stay in the residence halls, build relationships, and experience everything that makes Western and the Gunnison Valley special.”

Among the largest events are four football camps that will bring nearly 2,900 athletes to campus, three Rocky Mountain Wrestling camps expected to draw more than 2,100 participants, and six volleyball camps that pull in around 1,000 players total. Other sports camps include mountain biking, lacrosse, swimming, cheer, soccer, and several more.

In addition to all the athletic camps, high school students and their parents arrive in town and on campus for music camp and the Alpine Brass Band, a week-long ArtSource residency, the Teacher Institute, and the Graduate Program in Creative Writing.

During the third week of July, there was even a heavy police presence on campus for the annual Law Enforcement Explorer Post Advisors Association of Colorado (LEEPAAC) Conference, complete with lights, sirens, tense standoffs, and staged fights.

While many of the events, like LEEPAAC, return each year, several athletic programs have expanded their offerings with additional camps, contributing to this summer’s increased attendance.

And once activities wrap up for the day, many of those attendees head into Gunnison to eat at local restaurants, shop downtown, or spend an afternoon rafting. Others extend their stay to explore the valley before heading home.

A 2024 economic impact study by the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business estimated that visitors attending Western-related events generated approximately $7 million in economic activity in Gunnison County in 2023, including nearly $2.4 million in lodging revenue.

For Western, the camps also provide an important source of revenue for the University’s athletic programs, generating nearly half a million dollars this summer.

Beyond their economic impact, the camps give thousands of prospective students and their families an opportunity to experience Western long before they begin thinking seriously about college.

“For many participants, a summer camp is their first experience at Western, or in the Gunnison Valley. And few places can match what students experience here during the summer,” Western’s President, Brad Baca,  said. “Whether they’re here for athletics, music, academics, or professional development, we hope they leave with a sense of what’s possible here.”