Our Fond Adieu Until Spring
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John Steinbeck wrote, "What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." The cold of winter has come to the Rocky Mountains. We enjoyed the first measurable snowfall after closing the doors on our 69th season in Estes Park. For us, winter is a welcome time of plotting and planning coupled with a little playing. We spend the winter months meeting with our outstanding sales reps, attending tradeshows, working with art departments, traveling to other tourist destinations, completing store improvement projects, reading about the latest trends in retail, as well as buying and designing all new merchandise for the next season. According to one farmer interviewed in The Modern Farmer, “Most farms across the country reserve the coldest months of the year to get on track for the next season…We go behind the scenes, to do the real work and shape what the future looks like during the winter time.” This is also the story of Brownfield’s.
Summer’s sweetness and autumn’s allure are all the more magical in the midst of winter’s repose. As we begin shaping next season, we look back on 2024 with tremendous gratitude. We had the orangest fall in memory and bluebird skies all summer. We said goodbye to Jerry Brownfield and Patty Brownfield Hoyer as they entered their eternal rest in July. We honor their family and their legacy by the work of our hands, the passion in our hearts, and our commitment to the future of Brownfield’s. We bid farewell to teammates who graduated to the next chapter of life and rejoice in the new doors of opportunity open before them. We welcomed new friends that felt like old souls who have always been a part of us. In loss and in gain, we were stretched, challenged, and inspired this year. More than anything, we were reminded of the centrality of tradition in an ever-changing world.
As people wrapped around the building on Rummage Sale Saturday, our team gathered together inside, huddled up ready for the final championship game. One of our newest teammates shouted with joy, “Brownfield’s on three…Ready, one, two, three…BROWNFIELD’S!!!” Trenton’s drone flew overhead to capture this closing tradition and our faithful fans lined up for the season finale. The energy was palpable. This tradition, dating decades back, is our fond adieu until Spring. Thank you, friends.