Blue Angels over Grand Junction, artists on Main Street, fresh-hop beer in Montrose and Potato Days in Carbondale: your October 2–4 weekend guide covers the big gatherings and quieter outings, with parking reservations, ticket details and a car-free harvest party in Basalt.
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.
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.
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.
Restoration Vineyards, at 3594 E 1/2 Road, has something each day:
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.
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.
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.
Ghost walks, live music and a free aviation expo round out the weekend:
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.
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.
Spend Saturday morning at the market in Hotchkiss, then head out for dinner or live music:
