Good to know!
The backdrop for Mountain Harvest Festival is lush green Town Park (at 4th St. and North Fork Ave), shaded with enormous Elm trees, and surrounded by gorgeous views of Mount Lamborn, with the rush of the North Fork of the Gunnison River flowing just a few blocks away.
Downtown is an easy walk, just a few blocks from Town Park; and live music serves as your soundtrack. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself saying, “This is heaven on earth!”
Feel free to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and a reusable water container. The festival will happen rain or shine, so bring sunscreen and rain gear also.
Dogs are allowed. They must be on leash, with license. Please be considerate of others and pick up the poop. There are bags near the cement picnic structure.
Thank you for joining us for a harvest of the senses!
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Music in the ParkSeptember 25, Friday Evening – Town ParkJoint Point, 5:00 – 7:00 PM September 26, Saturday – Town ParkSaturday Afternoon, 2:30 – 6:00 PM 3 Tinkers, 2:30 – 4:00 PM Justin Thompson Trio, 4:30 – 6:00 PM September 27, Sunday – Town Park11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Jon Hickam Duo 12:50 – 2:20 PM: Rare 2:40 – 4:10 PM: TBA 4:30 – 6:00 PM: Mountain Harvest All Star Band
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Saturday Sundown Swing!September 26, SaturdayWelcome Festivarians! Mountain Harvest Festival is proud to present another great music line up this year coordinated by Skip Naft. Saturday night boasts a wide variety of music at four different venues in downtown Paonia. One block of Grand Avenue will be closed of for your frolicking convenience. KVNF (233 Grand Ave.) and Glennie Coombe Gallery (140 Grand Ave.) will provide acoustic music in a coffeehouse setting while the Paradise (215 Grand Ave.) and the Blue Sage (228 Grand Ave.) will be the place for full bands and dance music, offering a collection of Funk, Alternative Rock, Bluegrass and more! This year, join us for a Musician Meet and Greet reception at Eccentric Artist (217 Grand Ave.) Only 50 tickets will be sold for the reception. They are $50 and include admission to all of the venues. All the musicians are handpicked local and regional acts from Grand Junction to Carbondale, Telluride to Cedaredge and beyond. Our ten acts include something for everyone and it all happens in one block of beautiful historic downtown Paonia. KVNF will be our box office, where you can get your wrist band, and will be open from 6:00 – 10:00 pm. Check out the bios, performance times, and ticket information. Performers and schedule subject to change. It’s all happening Saturday night – catch them all, if you time it right! |
Harvest to Table Before Harvest of VoicesThursday, September 24, The Living Farm Café is offering their all-local menu at an early dinner, to provide folks heading for the Harvest of Voices a farm-to-table feast before feeding their literary appetites! Every dish will be house made without chemicals or additives, and will feature seasonally harvested foods. After the meal, patrons can take a leisurely stroll down to the Blue Sage, located one block north on Grand Avenue, and settle in for a rich feast of words. 5:00 pm seating, to insure time to dine before the Harvest of Voices. Dinner entreés from $12–22. Gluten free options available. Reservations required. Call the Living Farm Café at 970.527.3779 |
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Fashionable Youth AriseSunday, September 27, The Unicorn Arts Collective presents Animals Arise, Out of the Cage and into the Wild. Happening during Harvest Festival this year, this show will be a menagerie of performances and fashion created by the children of the North Fork Valley. The show, produced by the team that brought the wildly successful fashion and design show Elemental Rising to the Paradise Theater in April of this year, is sure to be an over the top celebration of art and performance. Children |
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Winemaker’s DinnerSaturday, September 26, You are invited to join Stone Cottage Cellars in the inaugural Mountain Harvest Festival Winemaker’s Farm-to-Table Dinner. Hosted by the owners, the Helleckson Family, these one-of-a-kind culinary events feature four delicious courses specially paired with four complementary wines. The appetizer course will feature bites from the winery’s wood-fired pizza oven. Nestled between the stone cellar and tasting room, fresh local and and organic food will be featured, culminating with blackberry strudel with blackberries picked from the winery estate. |
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Harvest Disco SoupSunday September 27, Join Slow Food Western Slope for a Disco Soup seasonal spread. This spread will be prepared with fresh ingredients, sourced from local farms, that would have other wise gone to waste. With this Disco Soup Slow Food Western Slope aims to create conviviality around food and to raise awareness of the unimaginable quantities of food that go to waste everyday. We will do this by providing you with a delicious solution for wasted food! Soup will be $5 a bowl, and proceeds benefit Slow Food. Join us at the pavilion near the playground for a special meal during this harvest season! |
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Lend Us Your Ears For a Harvest of VoicesThursday, September 24, Delta County is home to an abundance of talented wordsmiths, and the 2015 Harvest of Voices offers a grand buffet of tasty prose and poetry. This kickoff event of the Mountain Harvest Festival is a joint effort by the Blue Sage Center for the Arts and Delta County Libraries, showcasing both rising stars and award-winning writers. The event always draws a standing-room-only crowd. “Stop by the Blue Sage or go online and make a donation to guarantee a reserved seat,” suggests Laura Lee Yates of the Paonia Library. “This literary evening is a great way to get into the Mountain Harvest spirit.” This year the Harvest of Voices event is also pairing with the Paradise Theater and media experts, Words and Pictures, to live-stream the reading at the Paradise Theater to accommodate the overflow demand. Don’t miss this wonderful evening of story and verse at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts on Grand Avenue. “This is a great chance to see local authors make their poetry and prose come alive,” says Sunshine Knight, the assistant director of the Sage. Stick around after the reading for door prizes, music, a reception with the writers and a delicious dessert buffet! |
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Picture Paonia at the Blue SageThis year the Blue Sage’s annual plein air painting competition, Paint Paonia, will be masquerading as a photography competition cleverly named, Picture Paonia! This competition is open to all western slope photographers. Registrants will have 12 hours on Saturday, September 12 to photograph a local scene and then return to the Blue Sage to have their image verified. Once the image is verified the photographer will have 2 weeks to print and frame their image. All the images will be on display in the Gallery starting Thursday, September 24 and available for purchases. 1st , 2nd and 3rd place images will receive cash awards totaling $600. To register and for more information, visit www.BlueSage.org or call 970. 527.SAGE. |
DRINK LOCALLYFriday, September 25, 4:00 – 7:00 PM, Saturday, September 26, 12:00 – 6:00 PM, Sunday, September 27, 12:00 – 5:00 PM Enjoy a glass of beer, wine, or hard cider at the festival this year. The Drink Locally Tent features favorite beers provided by Paonia’s Revolution Brewing, founded and owned by Gretchen and Mike King. Their handcrafted ales and lagers are made using local, organic hops and fruits to craft their brew. They even grind their hops using bicycle power! Wine lovers can choose from a variety of wines from several of our local wineries. These are among the finest made in Colorado, from vineyards located at some of the highest altitudes to produce wine. Some of the vintners may be on hand to help you decide which wines may be most pleasing to your palette. Delicious Orchards makes Big B’s juices and four varieties of hard cider, including their new Lazy Daze Lemon Hard Cider. Be sure to try ‘em; they’re bursting with flavor! Water and juice are also available for those wanting a nonalcoholic alternative. The Drink Locally Tent will open Friday at 4pm, to serve festival goers during the Chili Cookoff, and will remain open throughout the festival. Age verified wrist bands will be given out after our volunteers check ID. Drink Responsibly – Please set a good example, live long and prosper. |
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Hula Hoop HooplaContest: Saturday, September 26, 10:30 am, in Paonia Town Park Hula Hoop, Hula Hoop; anyone can play from three to one hundred and ten! Join free hula hooping fun and contests for all ages. Peggy Soup, one of our talented and inventive Paonians, along with Jaycee, a new addition, will direct all kinds of fun and whacky activities featuring the universally loved hula hoop. Some hoops will be provided; feel free to bring your own, or buy one. Win prizes, show off your talented hips, or simply have fun. Join us Saturday in Paonia Town Park, 10:30 am, by the main stage. And Sunday Jaycee will give a dazzling performance, 10:00 am, to round out the fun! Come on everybody! |
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Chili Cook-offFriday, September 25, This year’s Mountain Harvest Festival will mark the 15th Annual Chili Cook-Off in the park. The cook-off, which has been run by the Blue Sage Center for the Arts for the past eight years, is a signature part of Mountain Harvest Festival that is anticipated by many members of the community. The competition is open to any individual or organization and is broken into five categories. Each category is judged by a secret panel of culinary experts and also competes for the coveted People’s Choice award. Prizes are as follows: Pre-registration is required in order to compete in the chili cook-off. The deadline to register as a cook is Friday, September 18. The entry fee is $10. Late registration will be from September 19 to September 25 and the fee is $25. The entry fee helps to cover supplies, like tasting cups, spoons, napkins, tickets, etc. The online registration form is available at www.bluesage.org. Forms can also be obtained from Farm and Home Supply, Grand Ave, Paonia. You can taste the chili in Paonia Town Park on Friday, September 25 from 5:00-7:00pm when all the cooks will be assembled, eager to wow you and win the coveted “People’s Choice Award”. Tasting will start promptly at 5pm: no sooner, and no later. When you purchase your taste tickets you will be given a token of some sort to use as a people’s choice vote. Once you’ve tasted all the chili you would like, decide which one (or ones) you like the best, and put your people’s choice votes in the colored can on the cook’s table. You are allowed to cast more than one vote to a chili if you like! At the end of the evening we will count all the people’s choice votes in each cook’s tin, and announce the coveted People’s Choice Award. In order to taste the chili, you will have to purchase taste tickets. Acceptable forms of payment are cash or local check, and the cost is as follows: |
I Love Pie ContestFriday, September 25th, Students from the Hotchkiss and Paonia High School Speech Club will once again sponsor the annual I Love Pie Contest in conjunction with the Chili Cookoff. Pie categories will be judged as: Best Harvest Pie, Best Savory Pie, Best Fruit Pie, Best Gluten and Dairy Free Pie, and Best Decorative Pie. Pie bakers can enter each pie in only one category, but may enter as many pies as they like. The only rule is that all pies must be homemade. Bring your best pie to the park by 4pm on Friday for judging. Slices of pie will be available for sale starting at 5pm, with proceeds benefiting the Speech Club. Delicious! |
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Art Walk, DowntownFriday, September 25 – 12:00 – 4:00 PM Take a stroll through downtown Paonia to view works of local artists at: The Hive, Paonia, Colony Room – 130 Grand Ave. Glennie Coombe Gallery – 140 Grand Ave. Blue Sage Gallery – 228 Grand Ave. Eccentric Artist Gallery – 217 Grand Ave. Elsewhere Studios – 107 3rd Street
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Friday Night Pub CrawlAfter the Chili Cook off is complete, downtown Paonia is alive with activity on Revolution Brewing – 325 Grand Avenue Revolution Brewing will be an earlier venue. |
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Children’s Puppet ShowSaturday, September 26 “Everyone Knows What A Dragon Looks Like” is a Chinese Fairy tale about a man who comes to help a city threatened by wild horsemen. However the dignitaries do not believe he is a dragon (i.e. a power house of knowledge and wisdom). It is a teaching story about the assumptions we make, and keeping an open mind. This puppet show is presented by The Learning Council. http://thelearningcouncil.org/ It will be presented between the stage and playground at Town Park. |
Paonia Bicycle Club Free Range RideSaturday, September 26, 8:00am for 50 mile ride & 9:00am for 10 and 25 mile rides. Ready to ride around our stunning valley? The Paonia Bicycle Club is offering a free, guided ride for enthusiasts of varying abilities. Meet at Paonia Town Park by the Gazebo stage. Leaders will be provided to insure riders know the route. Choose to ride 10, 25, or 50 miles. Routes are suitable for road and mountain bikes. Each rider will need to sign a release and be responsible for their own safety, food and water. If requested, a tour of the valley can be arranged. |
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GRAPE STOMPSaturday, September 26, The popular Grape Stomp Competition is a must-see event, generously sponsored by Orchard Valley Farms and the Black Bridge Winery. This fundraising event benefits two local nonprofits: Solar Energy International’s K-12 program and the Paonia Public Library Foundation. Both organizations are also sponsors of Mountain Harvest Creative. SEI’s K-12 outreach program is devoted to teaching the growing importance of energy – both how it is used and where it is sourced. The Library foundation is committed to raising, investing, and disbursing funds for the expansion of the Paonia Public Library. This annual competition highlights the North Fork Valley’s amazing wine culture through a hands-on (or shall we say feet-on) event! How does it work? Local businesses, families, non-profit groups, kids of all ages, church groups and crazy friends form teams of 3-4 people to compete for the Grand Prize of “Most Juice Collected” by stomping twenty pounds of grapes in wine barrels. Teams are encouraged to dress in costumes and compete for other prestigious awards. The theme for this year is “History.” Your group is encouraged to represent your favorite historical moment to win the “Best Costume Award.” Whether 1787 or 1987, the sky is the limit! Or perhaps your team would like to go old-school and compete for the “Best Lucy Look-A-Like.” (You know, the famous grape stomping scene.) NEW for 2015: Audience Choice! The audience is encouraged to bribe the judges by donating money in the name of their favorite team. The team with the most bribe votes wins! Plus there are special prizes for our Kids teams, including most juice collected and best costume! Team registrations are accepted until September 23. We are also seeking sponsors for teams. Registration forms for teams and sponsors, as well as Rules for the Grape Stomp, are available at the Paonia Library, SEI, and will be available here online August 1st. Registration is $75 for a team, and all registration fees are tax deductible. For further information, contact Cortney at 970-527-7657 or cortney.lynn32@gmail.com. |
Kids Area hosted by Kampe FoundationSaturday & Sunday September 26 & 27, The Kampe Foundation will once again provide fun activities for kids at the festival, for the seventh year! Teaming up with the Hotchkiss High School Honor Society, kids will discover all kinds of games, arts and craft projects to do. All participants receive prizes and it’s all free! Jump in at Town Park. |
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Harvest MarketSaturday & Sunday, September 26 & 27, (Some Harvest Market vendors may set-up on Friday afternoon.) |
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Harvest Fest Farm ToursOn Saturday, September 26th from 11am–4pm Mountain Harvest welcomes back the much celebrated free farm tours. Don’t forget your shopping baskets as each farm will have fresh goods for purchase of bread, gourmet cheese, gorgeous produce, wines, wool and more! *Harvest is the busiest time of year on the farm, so we ask that guests please respect closing time at 4pm.*
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Savor Our Local WineriesWelcoming visitors Saturday & Sunday Here in the North Fork Valley, wine lovers have the opportunity to visit with our vintners while touring the beautiful vineyards surrounding us. You won’t want to miss the spectacular views, art galleries, tasting rooms, food pairings and wine for purchase. Sumptuous local wines are also featured at the Mountain Harvest Festival Drink Locally Tent in Town Park. See our center page for a map, names and addresses of the wineries, or pick up a map from the MHF information booth, and visit the North Fork Valley wineries from Hotchkiss to Paonia. Additional information is available on our web site, including details of the Guided Van Tour of local wineries, and also visit www.WestElksAVA.com |
Van Tour of Superb Local Wineries – Ride and Relax!Saturday September 26 As a special treat for festival wine lovers, Solar Energy International (SEI) will provide a van tour of the fine wineries surrounding Paonia. For a $10 donation to SEI, you can truly relax as you tour the wineries and taste the fruits of their labor. Why drive when you can be guided by friendly local solar photographer and renewable energy enthusiast Ben Lehman? The tour is limited – be among the first fourteen to reserve your ticket, and you’re in! The tour leaves Paonia Park at 1 pm and returns by 4 pm. Questions? Reservations required by contacting Ben Lehman: 985-778-8289. |
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Farmers’ Market, Town ParkSaturday, September 26th This year, we’re adding a special Farmers’ Market to the Saturday festival schedule. It is exclusive to young farmers! MHC supports Plants R Us, a program in which teenagers learn agriculture from soil health and sowing seeds to selling mature crops and planning for expenses. They are responsible for their work and write their own paychecks. These remarkable kids are bringing their bounty to share with you! On Sunday, local farmers ~ who never fail to please ~ will bring the MHF Farmers’ Market to Town Park. Expect to find a wide range of late summer organic vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, summer squash), melons, and gorgeous flowers. Additional treasures (for cooking, preserving, or storing) may include colorful potatoes, a variety of onions, garlic, and peppers, winter squash, greens, and your favorite roots including sweet carrots, beets, rutabagas, celery root, and turnips. Honey, garlic braids, and chili strings (ristas) be hanging around too, just waiting to become part of a good home-cooked meal. Supporting local farmers may just change your life! There is something indescribably delicious about freshly picked produce. When you return home and start preparing meals using these fresh ingredients in recipes, we hope you will savor the moment, and reflect on the wonderful weekend you spent at the MHF in Paonia. You will be able to tell your kids, grandkids, or parents, “I met the farmer who grew these vegetables!” Thanks to the Colorado Cottage Foods Act, some value-added products may be for sale also, including preserves. Demonstrations will be offered near the center of the Farmers’ Market; times to be announced from the stage. |
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Late Night Gnoshing on Grand AvenueSaturday, September 26, 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM The town of Paonia boasts a pretty incredible selection of excellent eateries and several of these fabulous eateries will be open for late-night gnoshing on Saturday, if you get hungry during or after our Saturday night concerts. |
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Ferraris Rolling InSunday, September 27, Experience the rumble and luxury of The Ferrari Club as they cruise along 4th avenue, and roll on into the parking lot in front of the Teen Center, adjacent to the other Mountain Harvest Festival happenings and food vendors. Festival goers are invited to come admire these beautiful driving machines, and kids of all ages to take a turn sitting in the front seat. The drivers will be staying for lunch in Paonia, enjoying the friendly atmosphere of the Farmer’s Market and live music on the main stage. Then they’ll continue on their scenic road trip. Catch ‘em while you can! |
Vegan PotluckEvent begins at noon in the park (at cement structure) on Saturday, September 26th. Vegan is a plant-based diet, free of all animal products. Usually Vegans try to eat locally grown and organic produce whenever possible. |
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Best Buddies Benefit BrunchSunday September 27, Start your Harvest Festival Sunday morning off with a hearty breakfast at the Best Buddies Benefit Brunch from 9am to 12 noon on Sunday, September 27th. The breakfast will offer a locally sourced egg and meat dishes, fruit, pastry, coffee and cold drink. All proceeds from the brunch will go to local animal rescue groups CAWS and newly local RezDawg Rescue. Both groups work to provide adoption, spay and neuter, foster care and vaccinations for abandoned and relinquished pets in Delta County. To learn more about these organizations visit their websites at http://cawsonline.org/ and http://www.rezdawgrescue.org/ |
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Slow Bike Race and TossSaturday September 26, The Paonia Bike Co-op (PPPC) is a non-profit bike maintenance center where you can take advantage of community owned tools and local experts to help you work on your bike! We’re located in the alley across from the Community Gardens, between the Police Station and Blue Sage, behind Rodger’s Barber Shop. We are open Tuesday and Wednesday 4:00 – 7:00 pm. |
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Gentle Hatha YogaSaturday and Sunday September 26 & 27, Rise & shine for gentle yoga in the park! Saturday morning, Samara will lead mindful movement, simple stretches and breath awareness for whole body well being. You’ll progress through standing, seated, and floor asanas (yogic postures) while using pranayama (yogic breathing) to heighten attentiveness within poses. Samara will also guide you to experience some of the energetic benefits of yoga, including calm and focus. The practice will conclude with a relaxing meditation. Get ready to glow! Sunday, Ayana will teach Forest Yoga. Created by Ana Forest, Forest Yoga is a Hatha-based practice that incorporates modified poses to address target areas and is designed to be accessible to everyone. Using asana, core work, intention, and breath, students cultivate an awareness of their own practice and life process, resulting in a transformative journey into self discovery and healing. Bring a yoga mat, towel or blanket for comfort, as we’ll be outside on the ground. No previous yoga experience necessary. All are welcome. |
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Cow BingoSaturday September 26, We’re adding another fun event to the Festival this year! Flight of the Eagle Project is raising funds and awareness for a community recreation area around Paonia High School http://flightoftheeagleproject.com. Saturady, they are marking a grid and bringing a cow to the east side of the football field. Place your bet as to where the cow will make it’s first “pie”! Support a great community improvement project, and you could win this fun event! |
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5k MOUNTAIN HARVEST FESTIVAL Run, WALK, STROLLSunday, September 27, Spectacular views of Paonia’s surrounding orchards, farms, and mountains reward you every inch of this 5k (3.1) mile course. Some will chose to run the course, others will walk it, and the most relaxed among us will stroll this course. Aid stations will be available at 1k, 2k, and at the finish, so you won’t need to carry water! Registration will be day of the 5k starting at 8:00 a.m. at the South End of Grand Avenue across from Lizzy’s Market. The registration fee includes a full breakfast with proceeds supporting Mountain Harvest Creative and the Flight of the Eagle. Flight of the Eagle seeks to raise funds for brand new full-fledged athletic park at the Paonia High School. The course starts in downtown Paonia and heads out Matthews Lane flanked with historic homes plus cherry, peach, pear, and apple orchards. You will pass the soccer fields and make a left up “O” road and the first aid station. This section is uphill on a graded dirt road. “O” road bears left at the fork and continues uphill passing Small Potatoes Farm and Bakery. At the farm, the road turns to pavement and you’ve almost made it to the top of the hill. The second aid station will be at the intersection with Lamborn Mesa Road, where you make another left and head down the hill, over the Steward Ditch, past the Legion, across the RR tracks and hang a final left as you hit First Street and into downtown. You can’t take this event too seriously, it is supposed to be tons of fun especially since we have to cross the RR tracks twice and a train would put a serious dent in your time. For information: Call Ashley 303.746.6114 or Dave at 970.527.3969 |