The North Fork Valley is home to a great diversity of events and festivals. Most of the large scale events are staged between May and September. You will notice that there is always something going on regardless of the season. Quality live music, art openings, live theatre, ‘locavore’ food events, wine tastings, and educational events are all common. The options are all around you so take it all in and enjoy the opportunities that you can find only in the North Fork Valley.
Delicious Orchards BBQ
July 23, 4-7 PM
Please join us at Delicious Orchards for a great BBQ event featuring the students from the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts – Boulder (formerly known as the Culinary School of the Rockies) plus last year’s CSR graduate, Megan MacMillan.
Burgers, baked beans, potato salad, local slaw and greens, North Fork Cellars hard cider, local wines!
Music: Joallen, Howard Birkman, Jeff Reynolds and more!!
All proceeds from the event will help the North Fork Valley’s Harvest Lunch Farm to School initiative. Slow Food Western Slope & Delicious Orchards are committed to getting good, clean, local food into the North Fork Valley schools. Our Slow Food chapter, among other vested organizations, will fund the cost differential between the school district and the local farmers/ranchers and provide materials for educational programs that will have a lasting effect.
The school has a budget; the producer needs to make a living. So, in order to promote healthy kids and a healthy economy, Slow Food will help cover the costs so that the producer is fairly compensated for providing produce and meat and the schools can stay within their food budget.
Come on out and show your support and have a blast!! Bring the kids!
Dinner In the Vineyard
Saturday, August 13th, 2011
Join us for a relaxing evening of great food and wine in the vineyard at the foot of the West Elk mountain range. The afternoon starts with barrel tastings with the winemaker, in-depth tours of the vineyard and demonstrations of the wine making process. Later in the day, and extraordinary five-course dinner, including hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, three entree courses and dessert, carefully selected by Chef Jardon.
Following dinner, relax as the stars come out during out Concert at the Cellar.
$150 per person. Contact Brent & Karen Helleckson at 970-527-3444.
“Treasure the Tradition” of the Delta County Fair!
August 7th-13th
It doesn’t get much more wholesome than a good country fair and the Delta County Fair is about as traditionally American as they come. It’s a place where the kids can run around together, play games and eat fair food while the folks enjoy the many exhibits to be taken in while visiting with old and new friends alike. This year’s county fair will take place August 7th-13th at the Fair Grounds in Hotchkiss.
The meat and potatoes of any good fair are the many livestock exhibits and the displays of arts, crafts, and canned and fresh produce. Since Delta County is known far and wide for the produce and livestock raised here, there is certainly plenty to behold.
In addition to the exhibits, games and food…NEW this year is a terrific Carnival provided by Crabtree Amusements! PLUS there are major scheduled events most evenings. Don’t miss the demolition derby, the tractor pull and of course, the highlight of any western fair, the Friday & Saturday night rodeos – the ranch rodeo and the CPRA Rodeo plus team roping shootout and the Junior Rodeo. Stop by the fairgrounds in downtown Hotchkiss if you are in town during the fair. A good time is assured for all!
Farm, Food, Film & Wine Festival
Sat and Sun August 19th and 20th
August 19th & 20th- Join us for the third annual Food, Farm, Film and Wine Festival, the only one we know of in the Country, taking place in the enchanted Food & Wine Mecca of Paonia, Colorado.
This event is being brought to you by Fresh & Wyld, Valley Organic Growers Association, Edible Aspen, Edible Front Range, the Paradise Theatre, Delicious Orchards, the Mad Dog Ranch, First State Bank of Hotchkiss and the North Fork Valley Growers!
This year we will be highlighting the wineries and farms throughout the North Fork Valley. On Saturday you will get your Back Country Coffee’s box lunch and have the opportunity to visit and tour various Valley farms (The Living Farm and Terra Fata) and wineries. Then it’s off to enjoy locally-produced movies at the Paradise Theater. We’ll finish the evening at Fresh & Wyld for a great dinner prepared by Chef Dava Parr and Six89‘s Chef Mark Fischer of Carbondale featuring wonderful local produce.
On Sunday it’s a continental breakfast at the Paradise and then more great local movies. Afterwards, we’ll have a brunch at Delicious Orchards with music provided by Hard Pressed.
Our 2-day price is $125, Saturday only is priced at $100, Saturday movies only is $25 and Sunday only is priced at $35. (Slow Food members: ask about discounted price at the event.) Please go on-line and order. Follow this link: http://www.slowfoodwesternslope.org/FlimFlam11.html
ITINERARY (to be updated):
August 20
12PM – 1PM – Event Check-In at the Paradise Theater
12PM – 4PM – Winery and Farm Tours
5PM-7:00PM – Local movies, Paradise Theater
7:30PM – 9:30PM – Dinner at Fresh & Wyld
August 21
9AM – Continental Breakfast, Paradise Theater
9:30AM – 11AM – Local movies, Paradise Theater
11:30AM – 1PM – Brunch at Delicious
Questions? Contact us at slowfoodwesternslope@gmail.com
Please come play and eat with us and celebrate local food, wine, great film and farmers with an amazing food lover’s weekend.
Mountain Harvest Festival
September 22-25, 2011
