News
Entertainment
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Indian summer; live music outdoors and free; a parade; and food — it's all part of the annual Fruita Fall Festival starting today at noon in downtown Fruita.
Two street dances are part of this weekend's festivities: Exit 42 performs 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams plays 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. Both bands perform on the Bluegrass stage.
Also Friday at 7 p.m. on the Civic Center Park Stage hypnotist-magician Kier Royale will perform.
Festivities kick off Saturday with a bed race at 9 a.m., followed by a parade at 10, and Grand Valley Young Professionals duck races at 11:30.
Fruita senior activist 90-year-old Ellen Roberts is this year's parade Grand Marshal. Roberts is well-known for her community involvement, including collecting, rinsing and recycling aluminum cans for 12 years to raise money for the new Fruita Community Center.
The carnival and vendor booths open at noon and that's also when the live music starts with an array of acts taking place simultaneously on the bluegrass and civic center stages.
The bluegrass stage features Blue Canyon Boys, Thomas Porter and the Copper River Band, Cold Creek Band, and Virtual Strangers. The Civic Center stage is the venue for Hit Squad 8, Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams, Sons and Brothers, Javier de los Santos con Mariachi San Jose, Frank Bregar Orchestra with Krystyn Hartman Vocals, and Way Down Yonder.
Cowboy Church — gospel cowboy music by Sons and Brothers and Blue Canyon Boys — starts at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.
Each year, the festival includes a canned goods and baking contest. There are nine categories: Canning categories include pickled fruits, vegetables, pickles and relish; fruits and vegetables; jellies and jams; and salsa. Categories for baked goods include breads, cakes, cookies, pies and cobblers. There's also a contest for junior chefs.
Prizes include $100 for best of show, and $25 for first place in each category. The money is given in chamber bucks (gift certificates).
Nonperishable items may be dropped off Friday at Family Health West, 228 N. Cherry, the day before the contest. Other entries must be dropped off at FHW Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. Judging begins at 1 p.m. and winners will be announced at the Pavilion Stage at 5:30 p.m.
Applications can be downloaded from www.fruitafallfestival.com. Call 858-3894 for more information.
More than 60 food vendors including Navajo tacos, Italian ice, ribs, catfish, fajitas, kabobs, and pizza will be for sale at the fall festival.
The festival is teaming with the Western Slope Food Bank of the Rockies to collect food and other basic items such as canned goods, cereal, bath tissue, paper towels, personal care products and pet food.
The food bank distributed 3 million pounds of food to the needy in 2011, a 16 percent increase over last year's distribution and 88 percent increase over 2009. The Western Slope Food Bank serves about 150 agencies from the Vail Valley to the Utah border, and from the Wyoming border to the Ouray area.
The food bank will park its collection truck during the festival in Circle Park on the west side of the venue. To donate monetary gifts visit www.foodbankrockies.org
The festival concludes Sunday with a youth pet and talent show from 1-4 p.m.
For more information visit www.fruitafallfestival.com or call 858-3894.
Two street dances are part of this weekend's festivities: Exit 42 performs 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams plays 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. Both bands perform on the Bluegrass stage.
Also Friday at 7 p.m. on the Civic Center Park Stage hypnotist-magician Kier Royale will perform.
Festivities kick off Saturday with a bed race at 9 a.m., followed by a parade at 10, and Grand Valley Young Professionals duck races at 11:30.
Fruita senior activist 90-year-old Ellen Roberts is this year's parade Grand Marshal. Roberts is well-known for her community involvement, including collecting, rinsing and recycling aluminum cans for 12 years to raise money for the new Fruita Community Center.
The carnival and vendor booths open at noon and that's also when the live music starts with an array of acts taking place simultaneously on the bluegrass and civic center stages.
The bluegrass stage features Blue Canyon Boys, Thomas Porter and the Copper River Band, Cold Creek Band, and Virtual Strangers. The Civic Center stage is the venue for Hit Squad 8, Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams, Sons and Brothers, Javier de los Santos con Mariachi San Jose, Frank Bregar Orchestra with Krystyn Hartman Vocals, and Way Down Yonder.
Cowboy Church — gospel cowboy music by Sons and Brothers and Blue Canyon Boys — starts at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.
Each year, the festival includes a canned goods and baking contest. There are nine categories: Canning categories include pickled fruits, vegetables, pickles and relish; fruits and vegetables; jellies and jams; and salsa. Categories for baked goods include breads, cakes, cookies, pies and cobblers. There's also a contest for junior chefs.
Prizes include $100 for best of show, and $25 for first place in each category. The money is given in chamber bucks (gift certificates).
Nonperishable items may be dropped off Friday at Family Health West, 228 N. Cherry, the day before the contest. Other entries must be dropped off at FHW Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. Judging begins at 1 p.m. and winners will be announced at the Pavilion Stage at 5:30 p.m.
Applications can be downloaded from www.fruitafallfestival.com. Call 858-3894 for more information.
More than 60 food vendors including Navajo tacos, Italian ice, ribs, catfish, fajitas, kabobs, and pizza will be for sale at the fall festival.
The festival is teaming with the Western Slope Food Bank of the Rockies to collect food and other basic items such as canned goods, cereal, bath tissue, paper towels, personal care products and pet food.
The food bank distributed 3 million pounds of food to the needy in 2011, a 16 percent increase over last year's distribution and 88 percent increase over 2009. The Western Slope Food Bank serves about 150 agencies from the Vail Valley to the Utah border, and from the Wyoming border to the Ouray area.
The food bank will park its collection truck during the festival in Circle Park on the west side of the venue. To donate monetary gifts visit www.foodbankrockies.org
The festival concludes Sunday with a youth pet and talent show from 1-4 p.m.
For more information visit www.fruitafallfestival.com or call 858-3894.
GO&DO
What: Alpine Bank 97th annual Fruita Fall Festival
When: Fri.-Sun., Sept. 23-25 Where: Downtown Fruita Info: fruitafallfestival.com |
