Feature Article

Fall Into Colorado's Festivals

You know that old familiar feeling of fall-an earthy smell in the air; crisp days and cool nights; the colors and crunch of falling leaves; ripe apples and pumpkins; the days begin to grow shorter, and the nights longer. September 22 marks this year's autumnal equinox when the sun's rays are directly over the Earth at the equator.

With aspens blanketing the Colorado landscape, fall is a particularly beautiful season in our state. As we catch the tail end of summer and autumn's beginning, don't miss the many outdoor events that remain. From highly anticipated festivals to some of the lesser-known, the following are several of Colorado's celebrations of the season.

AUGUST


Festival of Mountain and Plain… A Taste of Colorado.
August 31- September 3, Downtown Denver. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend at Civic Center Park with 50 Colorado restaurants to delight your taste buds at this 18th annual food festival extravaganza. For your entertainment, numerous national and local bands will be playing on seven stages. Rides, educational exhibits and more than 200 arts and crafts booths will be set up. Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Monday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. 303-478-7878.

Louisville Fall Festival
August 31-September 3, Louisville. Get a dose of small-town atmosphere during these four activity-packed days. With fun for everyone, join in on the carnival, rides, children's pet parade, horseshoe tournaments, antique car show, pancake breakfast, ice cream social, juried fine arts exhibit, big band performances, 5K village run, pie-baking contest and the 66th Annual Labor Day Parade-just to name a few! This year's parade theme is "Recreation in the Rockies." 303-666-8747.

SEPTEMBER

Grand Autumn Heritage Series
September 13-16, Winter Park. This year's theme is "Ranching: Romance and Reality." Scheduled events include lectures, living history enactments, museum exhibits and tours of historic ranching and town sites. A highlight of the series will be a lecture and tour guided by Curt Buchholtz, author of Rocky Mountain National: Park A History, who will recount stories of the Park's Western Slope. Joining the historical events is the Middle Park County Fair in Kremmling. The authentic county fair will include display booths, a logger's rodeo, team penning and a chili cookoff. 970-887-2536.

Colorado Mountain Winefest
September 14-16, Palisade. Marking this 10th annual festival, the three-day event includes the Grand Harvest Celebration, a tour of the Grand Valley vineyards and the popular Festival in the Park with 18 participating wineries. Sample the many varieties of award-winning Colorado wines, special foods of Colorado chefs and live jazz throughout the day. Also featured is an amateur winemaking competition. 800-704-3667.

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
September 14-16, Telluride. Famous for its many festivals, Telluride knows how to have a good time. Set in the midst of towering mountains, this 8th annual three-day spree of

Telluride's annual Blues & Brews Festival features bagpipers, among many other performers, at the mid-September celebration. BRETT SCHRECKENGOST

world-renowned blues, accompanied by more than 90 beers from Southwestern United States' microbreweries, makes for loads of fun. Also included this year is an acoustic blues camp and competition. For family attendees, a Rainbow Kids tent with arts, crafts and games is set up within the festival grounds. Sunday's featured performers are James Brown and Susan Tedeschi. 866-515-6166.

Taste of Salida
September 22, Salida. The 3rd Annual Taste of Salida will be held at Riverside Park in historic downtown Salida. The actual tasting, with more than 20 restaurants participating, is from 1 to 3 p.m.; however, this year's event is part of a three-day Fall Festival weekend with food, wine and beer being served on the banks of the Arkansas River. Local artists' works will be displayed in an "Art Walk" that takes visitors into their studios. Also included is a public outdoor project, "Herd About Salida," where 25 bighorn sheep sculptures that have been painted and decorated by local artists will be displayed and auctioned off to the public. 877-772-5432.

Fall Foliage & Mountain Brewfest
September 22, Steamboat Springs. This year's 12th annual multicultural Fall Foliage Festival will celebrate the change of seasons from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ski Time Square and the Torian Plum Plaza. In conjunction, the Steamboat Mountain Brewfest runs from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the base of the ski area, where 33 Colorado breweries will pour their award-winning ales. In addition, more than 25 arts, crafts, clothing and food vendors will keep you fed, intrigued and entertained. 970-879-0882.

Snowmass Fall Festival
September 22-23, Snowmass. Enjoy the surroundings of the Snowmass Village Mall Saturday and Sunday as the feeling of fall lingers in the mountain air. Colorado wineries will be featured, along with the Cooking School of Aspen, who will serve sumptuous local cuisine. Free chairlift rides will be available to get a bird's-eye view of the changing leaves. For kids, free activities include clowns, apple bobbing, pumpkin painting, wall climbing and more. Also, don't miss out on the huge sidewalk sale with mall merchants offering bargains on summer and winter items. Hours both days are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 970-923-2000.

Chile & Frijoles Festival
September 22-23, Pueblo. This 7th annual festival has taken on a life of its own in southern Colorado. Originally created as a way for the city to celebrate the harvest of Pueblo chiles with authentic food, music, arts, fresh and roasted chiles and an 1840s mercado feel, it has grown to attract more than 20,000 people annually. Live entertainment will be provided throughout both days, as well as more than 100 displays of regional artists' work. And, of course, plenty of food (with or without chili) will be available. Contests for children include a piñata-hitting contest and tortilla toss. Some heated competition will take place at the annual chili competition and jalapeño-eating contest. 719-542-1704.

Coloradofest
September 30-October 1, Cañon City. Enjoy Fremont County's only Oktoberfest. Held at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, the setting is reason enough to attend. With traditional Oktoberfest-type flair, German bands will be performing as beer, sausage and potato salad are served to visitors. Also included will be music, dancing and crafts. Don't miss the alpine horn blower as he lets out a resonant tone from the middle of the bridge. Children's entertainment includes face painting, clowns and more. 719-275-7507.

OCTOBER


Apple Jubilee
October 13-14, Grand Junction. Cross Orchards Historic Farm, one of the largest orchards in Colorado in the early 1900s, and with more than 22,000 trees, provides an inviting atmosphere. Complete with apple pressing, apple cider, favorite apple recipes and apple butter, visitors will get their fill! A family-oriented event, there will also be local arts and crafts, bluegrass music to entertain, a pumpkin patch, games and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. 888-488-3466.

Festival of the Scarecrows
October 14, Olde Town Arvada. Celebrate the change of seasons at this 5th annual festival in Olde Town Square.

Scarecrow Chef takes first place at Olde Town Arvada's Festival of Scarecrows.

Check out the best-dressed scarecrows on display for the judging contest, as well as carved pumpkins at the Victory House on Ralston. Enjoy a horse-drawn haywagon ride made cozy with hot cider and donuts on sale. Other fun activities include Home Depot's Cool Tools Workshop for kids. Get dressed in your favorite flannels, overalls and woolens for an old-fashioned good time. 303-420-6100.

OTHER FALL OUTINGS


Happy Apple Farm
This family-owned and operated, pick-your-own fruit farm, located in the Arkansas Valley in southern Colorado's small town of Penrose, is chock-full of traditional autumn activities. Meet the Ferrara family as you pick from their selection of apples, peaches, pears, blackberries, raspberries and pumpkins. They also have three different kinds of fresh roasted chiles for your choosing. Admission is free, along with the tractor rides and baskets/boxes for picking. Buy your produce by the pound and then head home for some baking. 719-372-6300.

Maroon Bells Shuttle
Departing from Aspen Highlands Village, Aspen's visitors can catch a bus during weekends in September to tour one of Colorado's most popular and scenic destinations, Maroon Bells. Because the ecosystem of the Maroon Creek Valley is so fragile, the U.S. Forest Service closes the road to vehicles during the peak summer driving season. The bus ride is actually a guided tour through which passengers learn about the local history and geology of the area. Once at Maroon Bells, visitors can walk, hike, fish or just relax. The fee is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. Children under age 5 ride free. 970-920-1710.

Please note: Information in this listing was accurate as of press time. Please call the contact numbers listed to confirm dates, location and other details.

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