GOLD HILL - At the Gold Hill School’s 2025 Fall Fiesta, partygoers did indeed “fiesta like there’s no mañana.” 

The school hosted its annual fundraiser Wednesday, November 12, at the Gold Hill Inn, featuring a silent auction, live music by the Pineycone Band, and tacos.

“The Fall Fiesta raises money to fund all the school’s unique field trips and activities it’s known for,” said Chrissy Maedke, the teacher at Gold Hill School. “Our beautiful setting, as far as what the classrooms actually look like and how they’re furnished, our field trips, our guests, our projects both in and out of the classroom—all of that is 100% funded from this one fundraiser.” 

Maedke said they hoped to reach their goal of $10,000 from the Fiesta.

The Gold Hill Inn acted as a cozy environment, where live music by Pineycone (whose drummer, Kirk Kubicek, is the music teacher at the school) provided a celebratory backdrop to the lively atmosphere. Back in the dining room, students took guests to tables and served as waiters, bringing food and drinks.

When asked what their favorite part of the night was, the answer was unanimous: “Serving and bidding,” said Mikey Maedke, 8. 

Grady and Sophie Buis, both 8, agreed. “Serving tables and bidding and listening to Kirk’s band!” Grady added. 

“They’re just thrilled with their opportunity to be able to be the stars of the show,” said Maedke. “So that’s pretty exciting. And they rise to the occasion, too. It’s really quite incredible, the work they do in there.”

The students’ job was to add to the warm and inviting atmosphere. Mikey said they practiced beforehand by serving to a teammate, and that the older students help the younger ones during the event. 

It’s an exciting event for them, both because they get to serve their friends and family, but also because it showcases the community support for the school and helps them continue to do their favorite activities at school.

For Grady, that’s archery, as well as raising chicks and ducks. Mikey agreed with the latter: “The cutest part of the year is when we raise chicks and ducks,” he said. 

The spirit of giving back was alive and well at the fiesta. Maedke said many places the school visits on field trips, such as the Arvada Center and the Dairy Center for Performing Arts, donate to help the Fall Fiesta. 

The Gold Hill community showed up in support as well. Throughout the evening, the inn was full of people coming to celebrate.

“Small-town living, it’s a beautiful thing. I know, well, 99% of the people here,” said Maedke. ”Whenever you do something like this, the whole community turns out. ... It's great to have everybody turn out and have it be just a whole town lift to support having our school and educating the kids in our community and giving them this really special experience that is the goal for school.”

Former teachers, parents, and students were among the attendees. Jean Coulter and Jessica Brookhart, whose sons are former students at Gold Hill School, said that the Fall Fiesta feels like alumni night.

“I don’t know how many years in a row this is for me, but I came prior to my kids coming to school here, and after. So we’re probably on 15 years straight,” said Coulter, whose son, Shea Clark, was also there. She added that the school is like an identity that helps bring the whole community together.

“I think it’s really rare to have a community that’s this tight, that shows up again year after year for each other to just support,” added Brookhart. 

Her son, Kainoa Swift, said that it was fun to come back and see the younger students. 

The night was a celebration and show of support for a tight-knit school that has connected the community. As Mikey put it, “The school is amazing!”