Art and conversation, culture and camaraderie, Paint the Town & Art Walk pivots Woodland Park into a place of interest with a big red circle on the attraction map.

Envisioned by the city’s art guru Gayle Gross, the event incorporates downtown businesses and art walkers – followed by an evening of progressive dining on the last Saturday in February.

The gathering is part of the “Moose is Loose” marketing campaign, the annual event in February when stores around town offers discounts and specials.

The day begins with the art walk from noon to 3 p.m. when participants “travel” with passports from one business to another on the art walk map.  Depending on the number of passports stamped, the “traveler” has a better chance of winning the draw on March 15. The prize is a basket of “goodies” from each venue, a $225 value.

When it comes to promoting the inner artist of participants, Gross nails it.  Whoever thought of painting on a rock?  

“A rock-painting session that day is at Reserve Our Gallery,” said Gross, who founded the gallery. 

Participants will paint and add positive messages on the rocks and then hide them around town. The idea is for the rocks to be found and brought to the gallery in exchange for “Moose Bucks,” to spend at the various venues. The Speak Life Project sponsors the session.

In a town where pets are people too, Teller County Regional Animal Shelter gets into the act, too. At the TCRAS Cares facility on N. Colo Hwy. 67 in Woodland Park, participants can bring their pets and do an art activity.

Two hours after the art walk concludes, everybody is invited to a progressive dinner that begins either at Park State Bank & Trust, in the Eichman Gallery, or at Reserve Our Gallery.

“Various restaurants are providing the food and a signature drink at each location,” Gross said, adding that the restaurants offer heavy appetizers.  

The bank features artists Renee Caldwell, who crafts pine needle baskets, and Lois Sprague who painted “The Story of Us,” on an exterior wall of the Ute Pass Cultural Center. Reserve Our Gallery features artist Julie Cutting.

Participants have a chance to win a piece of art at each venue that evening.

 “At 6:15, everybody will switch places for more appetizers and then desserts by the Tava House restaurant will be at Tweeds. Jeff Musgrave from Peak Antler will be there,” she said.

The whole shebang ends at Judge’s Char-Grill after the progressive art dinner ends at 8 p.m. The restaurants are Red Diamond Gastro Pub, Boards & Barrels and Sam’s Gyros and Kabobs, in addition to the Grilled Cheese Food Truck at RoG. Tickets for the dinner Feb. 28 are at mooseisloose.com.