When the Sundance Film Festival descends on Boulder for the first time in January, it won’t just be filmmakers in the spotlight. A pop-up marketplace of more than 35 independent Colorado businesses will set up shop across the garden from one of the festival’s official screening venues, giving local makers a direct line to a global audience.
Scouted Colorado hosts an 11-day market of Colorado businesses, artists, and makers at Chautauqua’s Community House. Vendor and supporter applications are open.
For over a century, Chautauqua has served as a gathering place for art and culture. The arrival of Sundance extends that legacy while putting Colorado’s homegrown enterprises in front of visitors from around the world, according to Shelly Benford.
BOULDER, CO, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Sundance Film Festival’s first Colorado edition will unfold in Boulder this January, and one of its screening halls will sit just a garden away from more than three dozen local businesses.
Scouted Colorado, a curated collective developed alongside Colorado Chautauqua, will operate for 11 days inside the historic Chautauqua Community House from January 21 to 31, 2027. Applications are now open for Colorado brands, businesses, artists, makers and entrepreneurs statewide.
The Chautauqua Auditorium — built in 1898, the same year it hosted Boulder’s first-ever motion picture screening — will serve as an official festival venue and is undergoing a major restoration ahead of the event. The Community House sits directly across a garden from that auditorium, offering more than 35 spaces throughout the building. Festival attendees and local Coloradans alike can browse shopping, food and beverage offerings, and special programming during all 11 days.
The initiative is led by Kristie Shehan, Leigh Gordon, Shelly Hamill and Shani Canillas, who own and edit The Scout Guide’s Boulder, Denver, Aspen and Fort Collins editions. The Scout Guide is a lifestyle brand that highlights local businesses through print and digital city guides. The four are inviting businesses from across Colorado to showcase their work to the crowds converging on Boulder for the festival’s first year in the state.
“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 showcase Colorado’s independent businesses, spanning established regional brands and specialty retailers to artists, designers and makers.
After expenses, net proceeds from Scouted Colorado — along with a portion of vendor sales — will benefit the Colorado Chautauqua Association, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages the campus and is currently converting 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 now accepting vendor applications and Supporter Partnership inquiries from Colorado brands, businesses, artists, makers and entrepreneurs. Categories span 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 available 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
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Why it matters: Sundance’s move to Boulder represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Colorado’s independent economy to capture international attention. Scouted Colorado ensures that local businesses — not just national sponsors — are positioned to benefit from the festival’s spotlight, with proceeds also supporting the historic Chautauqua campus’s restoration.
