Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced the inaugural Outside Festival at Denver’s Civic Center Park, June 1-2, 2024. This flagship event will celebrate Colorado’s unparalleled outdoor recreation lifestyle and industry, while advancing our state’s commitment to increasing access to the outdoors.

Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced 12 new recipients of the Colorado

Today, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced 24 recipients of the Outdoor Recreation Industry Impact Fund (ORIIF). These grants are intended to help outdoor recreation industry businesses and nonprofits hire and retain over 100 full-time and part-time positions.

Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced nine new recipients of the Colorado State Outdoor Recreation Grant across the state. These grants will provide professional development for over 200 students and workers across Colorado as they prepare for or further their careers in outdoor recreation, including organizations that provide outdoor experiences to youth who might otherwise experience barriers to outdoor recreation.

This summer, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (or as we like to call it, OREC) took to the road for a listening tour.

Is there anything better than that first hot shower after a few days in the Colorado backcountry, washing off layers of mud and sweat?

In 2021, the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT), Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media (COFTM), along with the Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC), joined resources to provide a $79,000 incentive to help live-stream the Ouray Ice Festival which was spectator-free for the 2021

Summer in Colorado provides myriad amazing opportunities to get outside. Whether you live in the mountains or are a weekend-warrior traveling from the front range, Colorado offers incredible outdoor recreation opportunities of all kinds. 

We are outlining a few unique opportunities to get outside that you may not have tried before. Many of us have hiked, biked and skied through the Rockies, but not all of us have explored these one-of-a-kind experiences. 

Colleagues, 

July is already upon us and the typical peak of Colorado’s summer outdoors is just a few days away. That also means the state’s fiscal year has closed, and I am feeling both excitement and trepidation as we approach summer and close out a year that has been tremendously challenging and incredibly tough on all of us. There is, I remind myself, much to look forward to in the year ahead, and many milestones to celebrate from the past 12 months.