What’s Hot Around Paonia

The first Mountain Harvest Festival took place in September of 2000, and each year since then the festival has occupied the last weekend in September, featuring all local foods, drinks, music, and arts.

Paonia and the North Fork Valley boast a remarkably talented population, from amazing wine and beer makers, to world-renowned writers, artists, and musicians, to some of the best agriculturists in the state.

This festival brings all of our talents together to showcase them for locals and tourists alike.

Many of the festival events occur in Paonia’s Town Park, including a chili cook-off, activities for children, wine and beer tastings, concerts, and more.

Local businesses host other events, including agricultural classes, Paonia’s annual fashion show, other music events, and the ever-popular pub-crawl. Visitors are encouraged to visit local wineries and farms, to experience firsthand the source of our impressive wines and foods.

The four-day festival concludes on Sunday, with a delicious brunch and the best and biggest farmer’s market of the season. After enjoying brunch and more live music, you can also visit the craft fair, featuring arts, crafts, and food from local artisans.

Attending the Mountain Harvest Festival is a wonderful way to conclude the summer and welcome in the cooler weather.

It is also the perfect opportunity for locals and visitors to be exposed to the amazing resources and talent that our region brings to the state. See you there!

The Mountain Harvest Festival takes place September 23-26, 2010. For tickets and more information, please visit the festival’s official website

Join us for the 2nd annual Food, Farm, Film and Wine Festival taking place in the enchanted Food & Wine Mecca of Paonia, Colorado. This event is being brought to you by Fresh & Wyld, Edible Aspen, the Paradise Theatre, Western Slope and Roaring Fork Slow Food Chapters, the Kampe Foundation, First State Bank of Hotchkiss, the Hotchkiss Chamber of Commerce, Delicious Orchards, the Mad Dog Ranch, Delta County Tourism Cabinet and the North Fork Valley Growers!

This year we will be highlighting the wineries and farms on Garvin Mesa. On Saturday you will have the opportunity to visit and tour Stone Cottage Cellars, Azura Cellars, Terror Creek Winery and Desert Weyr - home of Black Welsh Mountain sheep. Then it’s off to a movie, Food Fight, at the Paradise Theater. We’ll finish the evening at Fresh & Wyld for a great dinner prepared by Chef Dava Parr and Aspen’s Ajax Tavern Executive Chef, Jim Butchart, featuring wonderful local produce.

[Appetizers and the movie will be open to non-festival goers on Saturday for $25 - help support local farmers!]

On Sunday it’s a continental breakfast at the Paradise and then the movie Fresh. Afterwards, we’ll have a brunch prepared by Dava at Orchard Valley Farms.

Please come play and eat with us and celebrate local food and farmers with an amazing week-end. Proceeds of the event will fund one of our local growers to attend the Terra Madre Conference in Italy in October.

Check out our photos from last year’s event here.

Our 2-day price is $125, Saturday only is priced at $100 and Sunday only is priced at $35 (Slow Food members will receive discounted price at the event). Please use PayPal - you don’t need an account to sign up. Or call 970-872-4628. Slow Food members will receive a discount at the event with proof of membership.

ITINERARY:

August 14

11AM - 2PM - Event Check-In at the Paradise Theater, 215 Grand Ave.

12PM - 4PM - Garvin Mesa Winery and Farm Tours:
Azura Cellars, 16764 Farmers Mine Road
Stone Cottage Cellars, 41716 Reds Road
Terror Creek Winery, 17445 Garvin Mesa Road
Bella Farm, 17348 Farmers Mine Road
Desert Weyr, 16870 Garvin Mesa Road

5PM-7:00PM - The movie, Food Fight, Paradise Theater

7:30PM - 9:30PM - Dinner at Fresh & Wyld, 1978 Harding Road

August 15

9AM - Continental Breakfast, Paradise Theater

9:30AM - 11AM - The movie, Fresh, Paradise Theater

11:30AM - 1PM - Brunch at Orchard Valley Farms, 15836 Black Bridge Road

Here are the maps for the event venues.

Questions? Contact us at slowfoodwesternslope@gmail.com

Follow the West Elks Wine Trail
Pairing the Best of Colorado Wine with the Best of Colorado Cuisine

The trend to eat and drink locally has become a national obsession. Here in Colorado on the Western slope we invite you to an adventure of closeness to the land, experiencing wine and foods grown right here in western Colorado. The winemakers of the West Elks Viticultural Area invite you to join them on August 6th, 7th and 8th for a tour of the wineries, vineyards, orchards, and gardens surrounding the North Fork of the Gunnison River near Paonia and Hotchkiss, Colorado.

The Wineries of the West Elks AVA announces the second annual West Elks Wine Trail event. Wineries participating are Alfred Eames Cellars, Azura Winery and Gallery, Black Bridge Winery, Delicious Orchards, Leroux Creek Winery, Liliputian Winery, S. Rhodes Vineyards, Stone Cottage Cellars and Terror Creek Winery.

To start your West Elks Wine Trail tour, stop by any of the nine West Elks Wineries to pick up your trail map for the weekend. Each winery will feature food and wine pairings, with a focus on local foods. Each winemaker will enhance your tastings with two favorite selected recipes to complement their wines. The nine wine tasting rooms will offer a wide variety of activities from vineyard tours, art displays, tastings, optional dinners, food pairings, mountain views and more. A complimentary wine glass will be given to those who travel along the wine trail and collect recipes from at least five wineries.

You are invited and encouraged to purchase wines from the winemakers, as many of the vintages from this region are only available at the wineries. There are several events and dinners associated with the West Elks Wine Trail Event. Please contact wineries and event providers directly:


Thursday, August 5th

Kick off your weekend with a FREE CONCERT in Paonia’s wonderful town park.
Wine Trail Maps will be available at the concert.
www.pickinproductions.com

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Friday, August 6th

ALFRED EAMES CELLARS
“WINEMAKERS DINNER”
Dinner 6:30pm
$60 per person
(970) 527-3269
www.AlfredEamesCellars.com

BLACK BRIDGE WINERY
“WINEMAKERS DINNER”
Enjoy a casual dining event in the vineyard, celebrating the best wine, fruit and vegetables from our farm.
6:00 pm
$50 per person
(970) 527-6838
www.blackbridgewinery.com



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Saturday, August 7th

AZURA WINERY & GALLERY
“TAPAS AT TWILIGHT”
Art, Wine, Ambience
Join us for a romantic evening, savoring the beautiful sunset over the
West Elks mountains and North Fork Valley.
7:00 PM
$50 per person
(970) 390-4251 or email: AzuraPaonia@aol.com
www.azuracellars.com

LEROUX CREEK VINEYARDS
“DINE IN THE VINES”
Enjoy a 5 course dinner with a French flair set in the ambiance of our Vineyard
The cuisine will be prepared with wine, using only local food of the North Fork Valley.
$65 per person
6:30 PM
(970) 872-4746
www.LerouxCreekInn.com


STONE COTTAGE CELLARS
“WOOD FIRED ANTIPASTI RUSTICO WITH BARREL WINE”
$50.00 per person
6:30PM
(970) 527- 3444
www.StoneCottageCellars.com

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Sunday, August 8th

DELICIOUS ORCHARDS
“NORTH FORK SUNDAY BRUNCH”
$18 per person / $10 for kids under 14
10AM – 1 PM
(970) 527-1110
www.FreshAppleCider.com

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Wineries:

Alfred Eames Cellars
(970) 527-3269
www.alfredeamescellars.com

Azura Winery & Gallery
(970) 390-4251
www.azuracellars.com

Black Bridge Winery
(970) 527-6838
www.blackbridgewinery.com

Delicious Orchards/North Fork Cellars
(970) 527-1110
www.freshapplecider.com

Liliputian Winery
(970) 872-3019
www.liliputianwinery.com

Leroux Creek Vineyards
(970) 872-4746
www.lerouxcreekinn.com

S. Rhodes Vineyards
(970) 275-5969

Stone Cottage Cellars
(970) 527-3444
www.stonecottagecellars.com

Terror Creek Winery
(970) 527-3484
www.terrorcreekwinery.com

ACCOMMODATIONS:
BROSS HOTEL - (970) 527-6776
FRESH & WYLD - (970) 527-4374
LAMBORN B&B - (970) 527-8911
SIMPLER TIME - (970) 527-4999
SMITH FORK RANCH - (970) 921-3454
REDWOOD ARMS (970) 527-4148
ROCKY MOUNTAIN INN - (970) 527-3070

For more information: (970 527-3886 or www.PaoniaChamber.com or www.facebook.com/WestElksAVA

A relative newcomer to Paonia, Tamara Rowe pulled her U-Haul into town on January 11, 2010, straight from Salt Lake City. After years managing coffee shops and running her own catering company, Tamara dreamed of owning a coffee shop in a small town, where people could gather to socialize, philosophize, and relax.

When she saw that Back Country Coffee was for sale she jumped at the opportunity. An average day at Back Country Coffee starts when Tamara wakes up at 4:00am, gets ready, then heads to the coffee shop to bake. People start pouring in for coffee between 7:00 and 9:00am: a time Tamara terms “happy hour.” She continues to bake throughout the day, with the help of her kitchen staff. The shop sees another rush at lunch time, then again between 2:00 and 3:00pm, when the morning caffeine kick has worn off, and people are stopping in for a pick-me-up before the shop closes at 3:00pm.

Since January, Tamara has gotten to know many Paonia locals, but she's noticed as the weather warms up more and more tourists are stopping by the coffee shop. Starting in mid-June, she's planning on serving Monday night dinners, and the shop will be open for Final Fridays throughout the summer. Not only is Tamara an excellent barista and baker, she also holds an advanced degree in creative writing, and has spent time writing for non-profit organizations. If she's not baking or pulling espresso shots, Tamara likes to spend time outdoors with her standard poodle, Zoey.

When asked what the best thing is about living in Paonia, Tamara responds, “The beautiful landscape and dream of living in a small Western town near the desert and mountains drew me here, but I have to say it’s the people of Paonia who have made living here the best thing.”

Back Country Coffee
210 3rd Street
Paonia, CO 81428
(970) 527-5080

Delta County's favorite health food store, Hardin's Natural Foods, has been hosting a farmers market every Friday for the past month. Located in Hardin's parking lot, local vendors sell meat, poultry, produce, and wine, and the market features music throughout the afternoon.

High Wire Ranch, which sells buffalo, elk, Smoky Bay fish and Troyer poultry at the market, raises its grass-fed buffalo and elk on herbicide- and pesticide-free pastures. The ranch is located in Hotchkiss and includes over 200 bison and elk.

Thistlewhistle Farms sells early season produce and bedding plants at the market. Also located in Hotchkiss, the farm is known for its heirloom tomatoes and unique peppers (including the hottest pepper in the world!). Providing the market with veggies, greens, chicken, ground beef, and more, Paonia's the Living Farm is an active advocate for the local food movement, and encourages people to become “Locavores.”

Rendezvous Organic Farm, which sells early season produce at the market, was started by chef Ryan Hardy and his business partners. Rendezvous is a fifteen acre organic form in Crawford, which also advocates for sustainable farming. Specializing in tomatoes, Hostetlers also has a table in the Hardin's farmers market.

While other vendors are selling meat and produce, Annie's Country Kitchen has baked goods and prepared meals to go. Finally, Liliputian Winery, a small winery that creates handcrafted wines from their vineyard, is offering tastes of its 2010 new releases.

This farmers market provides an excellent opportunity to sample the amazing foods grown and produced right here on the Western Slope, and to support the farmers, ranchers, bakers, wine-makers, and chefs who have dedicated their lives to providing high quality food to our region.

This summer KVNF is hosting a free Youth Radio Camp, for kids ages 7-17. Participants will have the opportunity to broadcast their own show, produce their own news, and will be qualified to volunteer as a programmer once the camp is over.

Planned workshops include music DJ training, learning about broadcast and recording equipment, lessons on how to interview and how to report the news, navigating a music library, community outreach, radio theater, story telling, and fact checking. KVNF's mission in creating the radio camps is “to develop leadership, engage, educate and empower local youth by providing training and opportunity in community radio.”

Kids will have the opportunity to interview visiting musicians and other figures, and will be exposed to a wide range of music. In July teens ages 13-17 are invited to camp on Mondays and Thursdays from 12-3pm. On Mondays and Thursdays in August, the camp is for kids ages 7-12.

The Flying Fork Cafe and Bakery in Paonia, CO features fine Italian cuisine and fresh baked goods. Lunch & dinner is served 7 days a week with breakfast served Saturday and Sunday.

Kelly Steinmetz is the owner and chef at the Flying Fork:

Kelly moved to Paonia on New Years Eve 2002, and spent his first night sleeping on the floor of the old Sunnyside Market. Since then, he's spent nearly 14 hours a day cooking great food, baking bread, working on his business, and greeting his loyal customer base as well as the tourists that pass through Paonia.

Ever since he was in high school, Kelly dreamed of running his own restaurant. Over the past 26 years Kelly has worked as a chef across the United States—from Florida to California—but he decided to stay in Paonia because of the quality of life, the amazing people, and the diversity of food grown and produced in the region.

Working hard to ensure that the Flying Fork maintains the perfect balance of ambiance, great food, and excellent service, Kelly is constantly inspired by his hardworking staff and the exceptional feedback he consistently receives from customers.

On the rare occasion that he's not working, Kelly enjoys spending time with his family, mountain biking, admiring the local scenery, and, well, eating.

The Flying Fork Cafe & Bakery
Fine Italian cuisine and fresh baked goods. Lunch & dinner served 7 days a week with breakfast served Saturday and Sunday.

www.flyingforkcafe.com
101 3rd Street
Paonia, CO 81428
(970) 527-3203

Sponsored by the Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford Chambers of Commerce

Business Symposium2010 Spring Business Forum
Wednesday April 21, 2010
8:00 am-1:00 pm
Hotchkiss Memorial Hall
175 N First Street Hotchkiss, CO

The Valley Chambers of Commerce recognize the value of information to the success of our local small business community and so for the third time the Chambers have joined together to present a business forum aimed at giving you information helpful in the success of your business!

Admittance FREE to members of any sponsorship Chamber!
All others $5

Registration 8:00am - 8:15am
Keynote Speaker 8:15am - 8:45am
Roundtable Workshops (3 sessions) 9:00 - noon
Lunch/Speaker Noon - 1pm

Mexican taco/burrito lunch served by Memorial Hall Board as Fundraiser

This will be a half-day event! The keynote speaker will be Delta County Commissioner Bruce Hovde. Hovde will speak on the economic climate of Delta County in 2010 and the challenges and opportunities ahead. Lunchtime presenter will be local author and speaker, Jody Andrews, L.M.F.T. Andrews will speak on "The Essentials for Good Community Relations". Business roundtable sessions will include: Energy Efficiency for Businesses, Business Technology and Internet, Business Financing in a Tight Economy, and others to be announced.

Following lunch, Marilyn Laverty of the Small Business Development Center in Gunnison will be available for one-on-one half hour meetings with individual business owners and can discuss with you your goals, cash flow, business financing, marketing and other related issues.

No need to RSVP for this event, however, those interested in individual sessions with Ms. Laverty must call in advanced to secure a spot!

Please mark your calendar now and we look forward to your attendance on Wednesday, April 21st!

For more information call Nathan Sponseller of the Hotchkiss Chamber @ 872.5031 or email at nsponseller@tds.net.

Be in the Official Delta County Visitor Guide for 2010
There are only a few days left to reserve space in the Visitor Guide.

10,000 copies are distributed across the state. Are you listed?

• Reserve your space in the guide by Thursday March 18th.


• Artwork due by the end of March

10,000 copies of the Delta County Visitor Guide are distributed to all nine of the Colorado Welcome Centers, all area Chambers of Commerce, and used as fulfillment for all advertising (including AAA, USA Today - Colorado Insert, Grand Circle Guide, Colorado.com, Coloradoinfo.com), phone call requests and website hits.

Visitor Guides will be distributed until the supply runs out. All advertisers will receive copies. All advertising is based on a first come first serve basis.

Pricing:

• Inside Covers 7.5W x 7T: $372.25


• Full Page 7.5W x 6T: $361.25


• Half Page Horiz. 7.5W x 2.75T: $255.00


• Half Page Vert 3.5W x 6T: $255.00


• Quarter Page 3.5W x 2.75T: $148.75


• Listings: $20.00


• To reserve your space, contact Kelli Hepler at 970.874.9532 or Graphox2000@aol.com