YOU ARE INVITED TO 48 HOURS OF SHEER FUN in Paonia Colorado! Come to the Mountain Harvest Festival and see our unique and beautiful part of the state of Colorado, and learn why we are known as the organic farming capital of the state. In and around the town of Paonia and up and down the scenic North Fork Valley you will not only find a cornucopia of fresh produce, award winning wines, and organic farms and ranches, you will also find a plethora of music, poetry, and art. The natural charm of the area has drawn a variety of creative people and every fall this fun Festival proudly presents, or should we say “harvests”, the bounty of not only the land but of the talent of the residents who live in the area. We are grateful for these gifts, and look forward to celebrating and sharing our community.

 For the last 8 years Mountain Harvest Festival has attracted a diverse crowd from all over Colorado and beyond to the small town of Paonia. With each year the festival has grown in events and attendance and this year is destined to be the grandest yet. There is a major change this year in that the Paonia Town Park will be the venue for all daily activity, including the Sunday "street fair", which will happen on the grass in the park. Arts/crafts & food vendors will be in the park Saturday and Sunday. Also, Saturday is chocked full of events in the park during the day. We are very fortunate to have a new gazebo in our beautiful park, and the Harvest Festival board felt this would be the best spot for the festival for the future. The Mountain Harvest Festival is a 501 c-4 non-profit corporation with a dedicated board of directors, who work year-round to produce this community event.

The Festival begins on Friday the 26th of September and ends on Sunday the 28th. The Paonia Town Park is the central venue of the Festival during the day featuring arts/crafts & food vendors, free local music in the gazebo, a free kid's area with games and education, and a beer and wine tent. Paonia's downtown Art District is host to evening entertainment. There are activities for just about everyone during the 3 days of the Festival. Friday starts with a new addition, the Paint Paonia Art contest which takes place at The Blue Sage Center for the Arts. $1000 in prizes will be awarded. In the late afternoon, at the Paonia Town Park, is a Chili Cook-Off, a Homemade Pie Contest, and free music in the Gazebo. Local beer and wine will be available. Friday night, downtown hosts A Harvest of Voices poetry & prose reading at The Blue Sage Center for the Arts, a very special concert the Paradise Theater featuring Beth Quist (former lead singer of Cirque du'Soleil's KA show in Las Vegas and a member of Bobby McFerrin's Voicestra), and the Friday night Mountain Harvest Pub Crawl with music in several of the local restaurants and pubs. Saturday boasts an early morning trail run, a guided LOCAL ORGANIC FARM TOUR - KNOW YOUR FARMER!, an un-guided farm & winery tour(you can get a map in the park), a singer/songwriter showcase in the Gazebo, a "Slow" bike race, Agricultural Workshops, a HOEDOWN featuring Bill Powers and the Silver Toned Devils, and free kid's activities and education in the park. The centerpiece of the Festival has always been the MOUNTAIN HARVEST CONCERTS which take place on Saturday night DOWNTOWN. This year there are 18 incredible local and regional musical acts performing in 4 venues playing music ranging from classical to jazz, from bluegrass to jam bands, and everything in-between. You can walk between the 4 venues, which are all on the same block in downtown Paonia, and one ticket will get you into all of the concerts. Sunday in the Town Park there is a LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET, a Rotary Bountiful Brunch with all local food(in the teen center), free kid's activities and education, live music in the Gazebo, and more. Local brewery Revolution Brewing is brewing up some special harvest brew, and local wine will be available. Lots of fresh local organic produce is available throughout the weekend. We have initiated a scholarship fund for local graduating seniors pursuing agricultural education, and a portion of this year's proceeds will be ear-marked toward this goal.

YOU ARE INVITED!