When the Westmark Hotel in Beaver Creek closed its doors in 2013, it brought an end to the dinner and show extravaganza called Beaver Creek Rendezvous, a tradition that had taken place every year for 22 years.
The closure of the Westmark was prompted by Holland-America tours’ decision to cease travel to Beaver Creek.
Westmark sold the property to a local couple, Beat Ledergerber and Jyl Wingert. Beat and Jyl have reopened a portion of rooms for traveling visitors and most recently reopened the dinner theatre for a wedding this past month.
The marriage of Sid’s son Tuffy Vander Meer to Jane Rogers took place on July 15 in the beautiful venue.
But before this wedding could take place, the dinner theatre sat for four years with very little activity. As we cleared what was left in the venue and traces of little critters, a discarded theatrical prop was to be taken to the dump. But Sid would not let that happen. He saw the prop as a reminder of the past and took it home where it now hangs from the ceiling of his garage.
“The plane would crash through the roof every night for 20 years,” Sid says. “The plane crash was the highlight! After being tossed about, it was in pretty rough shape. I had to re-tape some of it.”
The prop was created using wood, a tarp, and duct tape. With help from some wedding guests, Sid was able to place it high above in the rafters of his garage where visitors would be able to see the old prop.
“The plane is copied after the Queen of the Yukon in the Transportation Museum. It’s the sister plane, it’s the same model as the one Charles Lindbergh did the first solo flight over the Atlantic in 1927.”
The prop is a reminder of the people that made the Beaver Creek Rendezvous come to life, a man who was there since the beginning, Sylvan Demers; the last lead lady of the stage, Lisa Ryan; and pianist and Sid’s good friend, Willy Joosen.
On July 15, 2017 the Rendezvous came back to life with what locals have been waiting for: a celebration of love. With a live band gracing the stage, the memory of fun and laughter was brought back to the small community of Beaver Creek.
Congratulations to Tuffy and Jane!
