» Sept. 20-22
ColorFest weekend rings in the fall season accompanied by a blaze of gold and red hues, complemented by the bright colors of hot air balloons.
ColorFest weekend also celebrates the harvest season, with the Passport to Pagosa Wine and Food Festival and the Pagosa Springs Bands and Brews Festival paying tribute to numerous local and regional foods, microbreweries and music. Add the crisp and glorious Colorado autumn weather, and you have a weekend of fun, friends and unparalleled beauty.
On Friday, Sept. 20, the popular Passport to Pagosa: Wine and Food Festival will be held. Scrumptious food provided by many of Pagosa’s superb restaurants, caterers and specialty stores is paired with delicious wines chosen for this event. This event is certainly an epicurean delight, and tickets often sell out. Fantastic live music rounds out the evening. Tickets become available at the end of July.
The Bands and Brews Festival on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 21, highlights some of the best breweries in Southwest Colorado and other parts of the state and Northern New Mexico, with many of the breweries bringing in specialty quaffs just for the season. Growing in popularity in the region is the distilling of hard ciders, with several vendors showcasing this beverage. Multiple live music performances, delicious beverages, food vendors and activities for the children make it one of Pagosa’s favorite events.
The Saturday evening balloon glow will be held where the Microbrew Festival is held. Bands and Brews attendees will be able to continue their party while watching the glowing balloons adjacent to the festival as the evening grows dark. This balloon glow is contingent upon the weather.
Aspen House and Aspen Services will host the 5K ColorFest Color Run on Saturday morning, Sept. 21. Get doused with color as you walk or run the designated trail in the downtown area where volunteers welcome you with every color of the rainbow and you can view the hot air balloons as you navigate the course. Check for the festivity status at www.aspenhousepagosa.org.
You will enjoy the magic of the hot air balloons as they ascend around 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. A mass ascension on Saturday, Sept. 21, will take place in the downtown area with the beautiful San Juan River in the foreground and the San Juan Mountains as a backdrop. The west side of town will host the balloon ascension on Sunday morning, Sept. 22, with the majority of the balloons ascending from the Pagosa’s Lakes area near the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Recreation Center offering fabulous photographic opportunities of lakes and mountains. All balloon-related activities are dependent upon the weather.
For more information about ColorFest, event locations and the status of the weekend’s activities, call the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce at (970) 264-2360 or find out information at www.Pagosachamber.com.
Balloon pilots interested in flying can download the pilot application at www.pagosachamber.com/colorfest/.