The lighted Flagstaff star is a well-loved tradition in Boulder. It was first lit for Christmas in 1947 and months later was converted into an Easter cross. The alternating holiday symbols survived for two decades amidst vandalism by alleged Communists, reconfiguration by competing universities and peace-loving hippies, and resident complaints about the oft-considered Christian symbols’ failure to separate church and state.
Eventually, the cross was nixed but the star remained, deemed to represent “a sense of community” by the Boulder City Council. In 1980, the star stayed on for months to remind residents of the Americans held hostage in Iran. And on March 23, 2020, the Boulder Chamber illuminated the star as a symbol of unity in confronting COVID-19. The city kept the star lit until the community could return to normal daily activities.
Every year, we work with a local artist to create artwork for a limited-edition wine with a “Boulder Star” label. Julia Williams is our artist this year and we are thrilled with her creative take on this winery tradition. Not only is each year’s label new and different, but $1.50 from each bottle sold goes towards the star’s annual maintenance and electric bills. What’s in the bottle, you ask? It’s our 2018 Ensemble, composed of 46% merlot, 44% cabernet sauvignon, 7% malbec, and 3% petit verdot.
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Boulder Star is available in our Boulder tasting room and local liquor stores today. We will also have some bottles signed by the artist, available exclusively in our Boulder location. More details about how you can add this special bottle to your collection coming soon!
