For the first time since the pandemic, a seven-person delegation from Monteverde, Costa Rica, will visit Estes Park from Sept. 29 to Oct. 8. Visa and scheduling issues over the past five years forced three cancellations before these dates were secured.
Estes Park and Monteverde became sister cities in 2004 when officials from the two communities signed an agreement establishing a relationship built on shared characteristics, including tourism-driven economies, national parks, and migratory bird species.
During the visit, the mayors will sign a renewal of the partnership, highlighting shared interests in governance, health, education, the arts, culture, and environmental stewardship.
On Tuesday evening, a welcome dinner, hosted by Mayor Gary Hall and the Town Board, will take place. A dedication ceremony will be held on Friday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. between Snowy Peaks Winery and the Moraine Avenue Roundabout for the unveiling of a new sign pole marking the 21-year sister cities relationship.
During the 10-day stay, the delegation will meet with Town Staff and officials at several local agencies, including Visit Estes Park, Estes Park Schools, Estes Valley Library, The Learning Place, Salud, Estes Park Health, Larimer County Health, Estes Valley Land Trust, The Watershed Coalition, EVICS, and the Community Center and EVRPD facilities.
They will also tour Rocky Mountain National Park, visit the Estes Park Museum, MacGregor Ranch, and attend a program at the Estes Park Mountain Shop featuring a loan program for outdoor accessibility equipment.
The YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center is providing lodging and meals, while community members are hosting dinners and arranging transportation.
The annual Estes Park Sister Cities meeting will take place on Friday, Oct. 3, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Estes Park Museum. The program includes presentations by the Monteverde group and Estes Park youth ambassadors. Members of the local Sister Cities Association will elect new Board members.
President Dwight Eisenhower established the Sister Cities International program on Sept. 11, 1956, to foster international understanding and bonds of peace and prosperity between people from different cities worldwide, aiming to reduce the likelihood of new conflicts.
In a speech at the White House, Eisenhower said, “Two deeply-held convictions unite us in common purpose. First, is our belief in effective and responsive local government as a principal bulwark of freedom. Second, is our faith in the great promise of people-to-people and sister city affiliations in helping build the solid structure of world peace.”
The Estes Park Sister Cities Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Members of the local board include David Thomas, president; Cynda Basch, vice president; Michael Harris, treasurer; Barbara Werner, secretary; directors Carlie Bangs, Susan Taylor, Carlos Delgado Torres, and Ken Czarnowski; and Cindy Younglund, who is the Town Board Liaison.
Correction, September 29, 2025 4:53 pm: The date and time of the pole dedicaction has been updated, and an updated list the Estes Park Sister Cities Association board members was provided after going to press.
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