Grand Junction has two very different ways to spend Saturday: watching the Blue Angels overhead or wandering Main Street as artists demonstrate their work. In Montrose, the harvest becomes an afternoon of fresh-hop beer at Billy Goat Hop Farm. Carbondale starts early with pancakes, then turns Main Street over to the Potato Days parade. There are quieter plans, too: vineyard brunch in Palisade, a market in Hotchkiss or a Sunday afternoon at the symphony. Here’s what’s happening across Mesa, Montrose, Garfield and Delta counties, with a nearby Basalt outing worth planning ahead for. ## Mesa County: A busy sky and a full Main Street ### The air show takes the weekend The Grand Junction Air Show brings the U.S. Navy Blue Angels to Grand Junction Regional Airport on Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. both days. Make your parking plan before leaving home. General ticket holders cannot park at the airport and must reserve a designated shuttle lot, with one reservation per vehicle. Parking lots open at 7 a.m., and free shuttles start at 8. Saturday and Sunday use different lot arrangements, so book for the day you’re attending. Adult general admission is $30 in advance through Friday, October 2, and $40 at the gate. Children ages 5–12 are $10, and veterans are $15. Tickets are nonrefundable, and there is no rain date. ### Art, beer and music downtown The 11th annual Downtown Art Festival begins Friday with the First Friday Art Walk, 5–9 p.m. Saturday’s Downtown Artist Expo runs 11 a.m.–5 p.m., with artists, demonstrations and performances along Main Street between Third and Seventh streets. Look for new Art on the Corner installations while you’re there. Saturday also brings the Friends of the West Invitational Beer Fest to Main Street from 1–5 p.m. The ticketed festival features unlimited samples from 30 Colorado breweries, with an emphasis on lagers this year. It benefits the Avalon Foundation and Colorado Brewers Guild. Downtown GJ Porchella follows from 4–9 p.m., adding neighborhood live music to the afternoon and evening. At the Avalon Theatre, the Grand Junction Symphony’s Spirited Away program pairs Joe Hisaishi’s suite with Respighi’s _Fountains of Rome_ and music featuring soprano Magdalena Kuzma. Performances are Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., at 645 Main St. Tickets range from $5.25 to $68.25. For a different kind of concert, Warehouse25sixty-five has CRAWLING, a tribute to early Linkin Park, on Friday and The Boys of Summer’s Eagles tribute on Saturday. Contact the venue for Saturday’s showtime. ### A slower afternoon in Palisade Restoration Vineyards, at 3594 E 1/2 Road, has something each day: * Friday’s Wine Down runs 3–8 p.m., with Pali Thai and La Pupuseria food trucks. * Saturday’s free Band in the Barrel performance features Los Hermanos, 1–5 p.m. * Sunday’s Shuck & Sip brunch runs 10 a.m.–3 p.m., with food from Bonfire Oyster Co. and Restoration wines. Parties of eight or fewer do not need reservations; seating is first come, first served. At Carboy Winery, Saturday begins with Vin.Yasa yoga from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Backyard Beats brings live music to the afternoon from 4–7 p.m. For an indoor stop, the free Topaz Stories: Remembering the Japanese American Incarceration exhibition continues through October 3 at the Whitman Building. Mesa County’s Central Library is open Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 1–5 p.m. ## Montrose County: An afternoon on the hop farm Billy Goat Hop Farm closes its Fridays on the Farm season with an October 2 gathering from 4–9 p.m. Saturday is the bigger occasion: the fifth annual Southwest Fresh Fest, from 2–6 p.m., brings fresh-hop beer, live music, farm tours and local food to 67181 Trout Road. Start Saturday at the Montrose Farmers’ Market at Centennial Plaza, then leave the evening open for comedy or theater. Comedy Night at Shelter Distilling features Talon Saucerman and Matt Gabriel on Saturday at 8 p.m., with doors at 6:45. Shelter is at 947 Mayfly Drive. If you’re planning dinner before the show, reserve a table. Magic Circle Players’ The Last Trial of Alfred Packer runs this weekend at 420 S. 12th St. The production invites the audience to help decide the outcome of a story drawn from Packer’s ill-fated expedition. Leave time for a downtown stroll during Shop Sundays Montrose. ## Garfield County: Pancakes, a parade and Potato Days ### Carbondale’s long-running harvest celebration Carbondale’s 117th Potato Days takes the theme “Get Your Kicks on Root 66.” Friday’s First Friday celebration runs 5–9 p.m. on Main Street, with a free guided art tour at 5:30. Saturday rewards an early start. The Rotary pancake breakfast runs 8:30–10:30 a.m., the Tater Trot begins at 9, and the parade starts at 10:30. The farmers market and activities run 9 a.m.–3 p.m., with live music from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Community harvest lunch begins at 11:15 a.m., with large portions priced at $20 and small portions at $10. Slow Money Western Slope is this year’s community beneficiary. The celebration continues Sunday with the youth gymkhana, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. ### Around Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Rifle Ghost walks, live music and a free aviation expo round out the weekend: * Friday: Glenwood Springs’ History Ghost Walk at Linwood Cemetery, with departures every half hour from 6:30–8:30 p.m.; _Forgotten Island_ at Carbondale’s Crystal Theatre at 7 p.m. * Saturday: Family Clay Play at Carbondale Clay Center, 10 a.m.–noon; Noche Latina at Bethel Plaza in Glenwood Springs, 4–9 p.m.; and the “Pink to Black” concert series kickoff at Thunder River Theatre Company, with Roma Ransom and Western Medicine at 8 p.m. * Sunday: A free Aviation Expo at Sumers Airpark in Glenwood Springs, 8 a.m.–noon; Aspen Film screenings at the Crystal Theatre at 4 and 7 p.m., with a Q&A accompanying the evening screening. Octoberfest at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park runs Saturday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., with live music, German food and seasonal craft beer. The celebration is included with park admission and returns October 10. If you’d rather spend Saturday helping wildlife, the Roam the Roan Fence Pull takes volunteers onto the Roan Plateau outside Rifle to remove unused fencing along elk and mule deer routes. Meet at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and a safety briefing; work begins at 9 and finishes around 3–4 p.m. Registration is free. Bring sturdy boots, long pants and work gloves. ## Nearby in Basalt: A harvest party you can bike to Sunday’s ACES Harvest Party at Rock Bottom Ranch includes hayrides, live music, cider pressing and pumpkin carving. Choose one of two sessions: 11 a.m.–2 p.m. or 2–5 p.m. Tickets are $17, with children ages 3 and younger admitted free. This is a car-free event. Walk or bike along the Rio Grande Trail, or take a free shuttle from Basalt Park & Ride or Basalt High School. Accessible parking is available onsite with a permit. Food and drinks are sold separately. ## Delta County: A market morning, music after dark Spend Saturday morning at the market in Hotchkiss, then head out for dinner or live music: * Hotchkiss Saturday Market, at the Creamery Arts Center, runs 10 a.m.–2 p.m. * The Hotchkiss Elks Lodge’s “Back to the 80s” Charity Ball runs 5–7 p.m. The $50 ticket includes a prime rib buffet; the evening also features a fashion show, DJ and silent auction. * Big B’s Delicious Orchards hosts free Saturday Sessions live music from 7–9 p.m. * Mountain Jam brings an Allman Brothers tribute to Delta Roadhouse from 7–10 p.m.

Economic development staff reported the Hotchkiss Square remediation is nearly complete but the developer (Paydirt LLC) lacks capital to proceed with an estimated $59 million redevelopment; the City has issued blight citations and is pursuing other developer interest and possible foreclosure if liens rise.

By Sarah Hotchkiss : kqed - excerpt Eleven murals and five sculptures are planned for the two-mile stretch of road alongside Ocean Beach. It’s difficult to get San Franciscans to agree on pretty much anything when it comes to the Great Highway. But Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Ocean Beach Park, says consensus did emerge when it came to discussions around public art.

Join us on October 9 for a Farm Tour at Ela Family Farms in Hotchkiss, CO. Weather happens, and lately, more extreme weather events have been happening more frequently! Join organic fruit farmers Steve Ela and Regan Choi of Ela Family Farms to learn how their farm and family has navigated the extreme weather events of this season. Learn about the importance of a farm safety net, and where it still falls short. Be inspired by the resilience of this family farm and the support they have felt from their agricultural community! Organic curious, transitioning, regenerative farmers and eaters welcome! About the farm: Ela Family Farms grows over 55 varieties of organic tree fruits including cherries, peaches, pears, apples, plums, plus organic grapes and multiple varieties of organic heirloom tomatoes. Ela Family Farms was the first certified organic orchard in Colorado, and now is operated by the 4th generation of the family...

The North Fork Valley — Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford — is high-altitude orchard and vineyard country and the center of Colorado's organic agriculture movement. It is also on a hard clock. Read down the tasting room hours below and you will notice nearly every one of them ends on or about November 1. ## What the valley is This is the West Elks AVA, a separate appellation from Palisade's Grand Valley AVA and a genuinely different growing region: higher, cooler, smaller, and dominated by small diversified farms rather than by scale. If you have done Palisade and assumed you have done Colorado wine, you have not. ## Paonia * Big B's Delicious Orchards and Hard Cider, 39126 Hwy 133. Daily from 10am, April through November. Cafe, live music, fruit picking, camping on site. * Black Bridge Winery and Orchard Valley Farms, 15836 Black Bridge Rd. Daily 10am to 6pm through November 1. Wine tasting plus u-pick fruit and vegetables and a pumpkin patch — the best single stop if you have children along. * Stone Cottage Cellars, 41716 Reds Rd. Daily 11am to 6pm through November 1. Charcuterie, and vineyard stays. * Azura Cellars, 16764 Farmers Mine Rd. 11am to 6pm daily except Tuesday, through November 1. Flights and charcuterie. * Qutori Wines, 40823 Hwy 133. Daily noon to 6pm through November 1. * 5680 Vineyards, 14652 Peony Ln. Friday through Sunday, noon to 6pm, through November 1. * Alfred Eames Tasting Room at Zenzen Gardens, 12498 3790 Rd. Daily noon to 6pm. Live music, lodging, farm-to-table dinners. * Alfred Eames Cellars, 11931 4050 Rd. Events and major holidays; otherwise by appointment. * Clear Fork Cider, 234 Grand Ave, inside Paonia Books. Saturdays 2 to 5pm through October 31. A cidery inside a bookshop is worth the detour on its own. * Also here: Painted Vineyard Winery and Peony Lane Winery. ## Hotchkiss * The Storm Cellar, 14139 Rummel Gulch Rd. Thursday through Sunday, noon to 7pm, through November 1. * Mesa Winds Farm and Winery, 31262 L Rd. Farm-to-table food, tasting, full bar, open seasonally. * Fallen Mountain Winery, 29847 Stingley Gulch Rd. By appointment only. * Bramble Winery, on 3260 Rd, working with overlooked fruits into dry wines. ## How to plan it Two things follow from those hours. First, call ahead anyway — a small family winery closes for a harvest day or a family event without updating anything. Second, build the day around the ones with fixed narrow windows. Clear Fork Cider is Saturday afternoons only. The Storm Cellar is Thursday to Sunday. 5680 is Friday to Sunday. Azura is closed Tuesdays. A Monday or Tuesday visit will find most of the valley shut. Regional contact for the AVA is westelksava@gmail.com or 970-527-3444. ## Combining it with the mesa The North Fork sits at the southern foot of the Grand Mesa, which makes an obvious two-part trip: the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway down Highway 65 from I-70, sixty-three miles and about two hours of driving, coming out at Cedaredge, then into the valley. Note the Grand Mesa Visitor Center closes for the season on the last Sunday in September, and services between Cedaredge and Mesa are limited, so fuel up. Cedaredge and the Surface Creek area on that south flank are apple country, which rounds out the agricultural picture nicely. ## One more reason to be here after dark Paonia is a certified International Dark Sky Community. So is Ridgway, an hour south. If you are already staying the night for the tasting rooms, the sky is the second reason. Before you go, read the Trellis guides to what's closed Monday and Tuesday, where to see stars and heat, altitude and the seasons. All of the visitor guides are collected at Visit the Western Slope.