Pride, Pints & Pine Needles: Your Ultimate Western Slope Labor Day Weekend Guide

Friday, Sept. 4 – Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026

It's the big three-day send-off to summer. Grand Junction bursts into full color for Pride, Palisade brings live music to the vines, Redstone transforms into an open-air gallery, and Cedaredge caps it all with the Tour de Cedars. Don't get caught off guard: Monday is Labor Day, meaning county offices and most libraries will be shuttered—knock out those errands by Saturday so you can dive straight into the fun.

Mesa County

Friday, Sept. 4

• Topaz Stories: Remembering the Japanese American Incarceration — Whitman Building, Museums of Western Colorado, 248 S. 4th St., 10 a.m.–3 p.m. A poignant traveling exhibit from the Friends of the Topaz Museum, presented in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS. (Also running Saturday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.)
• Legends Sculpture Walking Tour — Downtown Grand Junction, 7 p.m. Meet at the Rex Howell bronze sculpture (612 Main St.) for a twilight guided stroll through downtown's iconic public art trail.
• Marco Flores y La Número 1 Banda Jerez — Grand Junction Convention Center, 159 Main St., 9:30 p.m. An electric night of high-energy banda downtown. Free entry for kids 12 and under.

Saturday, Sept. 5

• Colorado West Pride Festival (Day 1) — Hilltop, 302 Colorado Ave., noon–8 p.m. Live entertainment, local vendors, drinks, and community power at the Western Slope’s premier Pride celebration.
• Junction Truck Fest — Mesa County Fairgrounds, 2785 U.S. 50, 8 a.m.–10:30 p.m. The inaugural showdown featuring 800+ trucks, a dedicated burnout pit, show-and-shine displays, and vendors. Ticketed; kids 10 and under free.
• Saturday Morning Music Sessions — 530 Main St., Downtown Grand Junction, 10 a.m.–noon. Free live outdoor tunes courtesy of Triple Play Records.
• The Outpost Makers Market — Downtown Grand Junction, noon–4 p.m. Handcrafted goods and artisan wares from regional makers.
• Fruita Farmers Market — Civic Center Park, 325 E. Aspen Ave., Fruita, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Fresh late-summer produce, baked goods, and crafts under the park trees.
• Rokküla Live — Warehouse25sixty-five Outdoor Stage, 2565 American Way, 7:30 p.m. Big hair, louder riffs: an all-out '80s hard-rock show band. $12 GA, all ages, BYO camp chair. (Note: Australian country standout Wade Forster plays the indoor showroom—check venue for separate entry tiers).

Sunday, Sept. 6

• Colorado West Pride Parade & Festival (Day 2) — 7th and Main, Downtown Grand Junction, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Line the streets for the parade, then follow the crowd over to Hilltop for Day 2 festivities from noon–6 p.m.

🍷 Wine Country Sounds

• Fri: Summer Sunset Music Series with Jean Sandoval & The Town Kids — Colterris, 3907 N. River Rd., Palisade, 5 p.m. Two sets of soulful original tunes right among the peach trees and vines.
• Sat: Harvest Harmonies: Seth Walker with Alex Dunn — Carboy Winery at Mt. Garfield Estate, 3572 G Rd., Palisade. Doors at 5 p.m., tunes 6–9 p.m. 21+ only, no early check-in (winery resets 4–5 p.m.). GA $40, VIP $80; $2 of every ticket supports KAFM Community Radio.

📚 Holiday Library Schedules

• Friday: Normal hours across branches (Gateway closed).
• Saturday: Central (9–5), Clifton (9–5), and Fruita (9–4) only.
• Sunday: Central Library only, 1–5 p.m.
• Monday: All branches closed for Labor Day.

Radar check: Ned LeDoux hits Warehouse25sixty-five on Sept. 11; Tour of the Moon pedals the National Monument Sept. 12; the 35th Annual Colorado Mountain Winefest takes over Riverbend Park Sept. 19 alongside the Downtown Car Show and Tour de Vineyards; Fruita Fall Festival lands Sept. 23–27.

Montrose County

Friday, Sept. 4

• Fridays on the Farm (Season Finale) — Billy Goat Hop Farm, 67181 Trout Rd., Montrose, 4 p.m. Toast the end of the series in the hop yard with live music, farm-brewed ales, non-alcoholic taps, neighborhood wine, and local food trucks. Dogs, kids, and goats welcome.

Saturday, Sept. 5

• Montrose Farmers Market — Centennial Plaza, Downtown Montrose. Fresh morning haul from regional growers, running every Saturday through October.
• September Comedy in the Backyard — Canyon Creek Bed & Breakfast, 820 Main St., Montrose, 8–9:30 p.m. An intimate evening of stand-up under the open sky. $18, 21+.

📚 Montrose Library Note: The main Montrose branch is always closed Saturdays (open Fri 10–6, Sun 1–5). Naturita is open Fri–Sat 9–6, Sun 10–3. Both are closed Monday for Labor Day.

Radar check: Stylie wraps the Montrose Summer Music Series at Cerise Park Sept. 11; JBF Children's Sale runs Sept. 11–13; Punk on the Unc roars into River Bottom Park Sept. 19; Olathe Harvest Festival drops Sept. 19. Just south: Ouray Music & Maker's Festival takes Fellin Park on Sunday, Sept. 6, and the Ouray County Labor Day Rodeo rides in Ridgway on Monday, Sept. 7.

Garfield County

Friday–Sunday, Sept. 4–6

• 30th Annual Redstone Art Show and Sale — Redstone Inn grounds. A beloved valley tradition: three full days of artist booths, hands-on workshops, and demonstrations under the canvas tents. Free admission; purchases help fund creative arts scholarships for local students.

Saturday, Sept. 5

• Mountaintop Tunes: Rodrigo Arreguin — Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, 3–6 p.m. Spanish and classical guitar drifting across the canyon rim. Park open 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 6

• Mountaintop Tunes: Pam & Dan — Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, 3–6 p.m. Easygoing Carbondale folk-country originals and covers 1,300 feet above the Roaring Fork.

Radar check: Kiwanis 71st Annual Pancake Breakfast beneath the Grand Avenue Bridge Sept. 12; Rifle's Third Thursday on Third turns into Oktoberfest Sept. 17; Glenwood Caverns kicks off Oktoberfest Saturdays on Sept. 19; Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Two Rivers Park Sept. 19.

Delta County

• Friday, Sept. 4: Starr & Stucky — Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center, 195 W. Main St., Cedaredge, 6–8 p.m. David Starr teams with Nashville’s Erik Stucky for an evening of acoustic Americana on the outdoor stage. Free admission.
• Sunday, Sept. 6: 8th Annual Tour de Cedars — Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center (check-in), Cedaredge, noon–4 p.m. A progressive, self-guided tour linking four private homes, each paired with local culinary bites, regional wines, artisan works, and live music. Tickets: $65.

Radar check: The Grand Mesa Writers' Symposium arrives in Cedaredge on Sept. 11.