About

In 2009, the Town of Fairplay received a grant from the State of Colorado to bring local artists together to discuss ways that Fairplay could engage them to better enhance the recognition of the many varied artists and makers in our community. We had lots of meetings and the idea of “Fairplay Arts Now” was born. The idea was simple really – create an organization that would promote and celebrate arts in the Fairplay area. The Town has done this for many years now through events, promotions and marketing, and collaboration with similarly minded entities. The Town has even designated space in the building at 501 Main to be a “Local Arts Center/Gallery” upon renovation.

Ten years later, in 2019, the Town of Fairplay embarked on a downtown assessment project that was quickly named “Fairplay Forward” by the group of Fairplay business owners that participated in this community driven effort. This group along with the Town Board and Town Staff passionately believe that Fairplay represents the best of what Colorado has to offer. Downtown Fairplay is a truly authentic and unique place that reflects the community’s heritage and offers a window into Colorado’s history. Most people in our community already recognize that downtown is a special place.

The motivation behind Fairplay Forward was to develop a community-driven strategy to be used to guide the physical and economic development of the downtown and the rest of Fairplay. Fairplay Forward works to preserve what people love about Fairplay while helping the community realize their aspirations for the future.

One of the actions that came out of the Fairplay Forward project was the development of an Economic and Business Development Advisory Board made up of members of the business community. The purpose of this nine-member advisory board is to help guide the Town through development of programs, marketing, and events that will create the highest and best use of Town funds to generate appropriate economic development for Fairplay.

The development and marketing of this website is part of that effort – obviously, it was not planned, but due to COVID-19, we have had to pivot and consider innovative ways to bolster our local business economy. We are hopeful that this website will become a resource for locals and visitors as we move forward – and especially during this upcoming holiday season!

Interested in learning more about Fairplay Forward? Visit www.downtownfairplay.com.

The Fairplay Virtual marketplace is owned and managed by the Town of Fairplay. Thanks for being here!