Scouted Colorado Brings 35+ Colorado Businesses to Chautauqua During the 2027 Sundance Film Festival

Scouted Colorado hosts an 11-day market of Colorado businesses, artists, and makers at Chautauqua’s Community House. Vendor and supporter applications are open.

BOULDER, CO, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — When the Sundance Film Festival opens in Boulder this January, one of its official screening venues will sit across a garden from 35+ independent Colorado businesses.

Scouted Colorado, a curated collective of Colorado businesses created in partnership with Colorado Chautauqua, will run 11 days in the historic Chautauqua Community House during the Festival, January 21 to 31, 2027. Applications are open now to Colorado brands, businesses, artists, makers and entrepreneurs across the state.

Chautauqua Auditorium, the hall at the center of the campus, will host official Festival screenings. Built in 1898, it is where the first motion picture ever shown in Boulder played that same year, and it is now undergoing a major restoration ahead of the Festival. The Chautauqua Community House sits directly across a garden, where more than 35 spaces are available throughout the building. Scouted Colorado will welcome Festival visitors and Coloradans from Boulder and beyond for shopping, food and beverage, and special programming across all 11 days.

Scouted Colorado is presented by Kristie Shehan, Leigh Gordon, Shelly Hamill and Shani Canillas, who own and edit The Scout Guide’s Boulder, Denver, Aspen and Fort Collins guides. The Scout Guide is a lifestyle brand that champions local businesses through city guides in print and online. Together they are inviting businesses from across the state to introduce their work to the audience gathering in Boulder for the Festival’s first Colorado year.

“Chautauqua has been a place where people come together around arts, culture and new ideas for more than a century,” said Shelly Benford, Chief Executive Officer of Colorado Chautauqua. “Welcoming the Festival to this campus continues that, and the Chautauqua Community House is where visitors will meet the Colorado businesses who make this state what it is.”

“There is only one first year, and this is it,” said Kristie Shehan, owner and editor of The Scout Guide Boulder. “We want Colorado businesses to have a place in this moment. Scouted Colorado is an opportunity to introduce their work to new audiences and show visitors how much there is to discover here.”

The collective will represent Colorado’s independent businesses, from established regional brands and specialty retailers to artists, designers, and makers.

Net proceeds from Scouted Colorado, after expenses, along with a share of vendor sales, benefit the Colorado Chautauqua Association, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that stewards the campus and is currently transforming the Auditorium into a year-round cultural venue.

“The Festival brings a global audience to Colorado that most independent businesses would never reach on their own,” said Leigh Gordon, owner and editor of The Scout Guide Denver. “We want Colorado businesses standing in front of them, not watching from the sidelines.”

How to Participate
Scouted Colorado is accepting vendor applications and Supporter Partnership inquiries from Colorado brands, businesses, artists, makers and entrepreneurs. Categories include fashion and Western style, alpine and outdoor lifestyle, fine jewelry and accessories, art, home and design, Colorado craftsmanship, independent retail, and travel and experiences.

The first round of vendor applications closes October 30, 2026. Supporter Partnerships remain open, with category exclusivity at the leading levels.

Apply at scoutedcolorado.com.

About Scouted Colorado
Scouted Colorado is an 11-day curated collective of independent Colorado businesses, created in partnership with Colorado Chautauqua, running January 21 to 31, 2027 at Chautauqua Community House in Boulder. It is presented by Kristie Shehan, Leigh Gordon, Shelly Hamill, and Shani Canillas, the owners and editors of The Scout Guide’s four Colorado guides. scoutedcolorado.com

About the Colorado Chautauqua
Colorado Chautauqua is a National Historic Landmark at the base of the Flatirons in Boulder, home to the 1898 Chautauqua Auditorium and an award-winning provider of lodging, dining, concerts, movies, and private events. The Colorado Chautauqua Association stewards the 26-acre campus, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. chautauqua.com

Media Contact:
Kristie Shehan, Owner and Editor, The Scout Guide Boulder
Leigh Gordon, Owner and Editor, The Scout Guide Denver
hello@scoutedcolorado.com
scoutedcolorado.com

Kristie Shehan
Scouted Colorado
+1 720-320-5371
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Other

Media gallery