Volunteers Scrape 50 Pounds of Gum From Seats of Red Rocks Amphitheater

Red Rocks is in a sticky situation, but not in the way you might think.

The Colorado-based amphitheater, renowned for its unparalleled natural acoustics, found itself under an unexpected assault—not from the elements, but from dozens of pounds of chewing gum. Thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, this gooey predicament has been addressed in an effort to preserve the beauty and integrity of the legendary venue.

The operation was spearheaded by the non-profit organization Friends of Red Rocks, a group committed to maintaining the amphitheater’s splendor. Despite the amphitheater’s overt policy against gum, volunteers routinely find discarded pieces stuck under seats. They reportedly scraped a staggering 50 pounds of gum that had accumulated in 2023 alone.

“Gum is not even permitted inside the amphitheater, but how do you prevent that? People have it in their purses, in their pockets,” Pia Valeriana, a Friends of Red Rocks volunteer, told FOX31. “We hope that people will chew responsibly and put it in a paper and not to stick it under the seats.”

Friends of Red Rocks has made their annual gum cleanup a recurring initiative over the last three years. You can find out more about the nonprofit here.