With the holiday weekend past, collective thoughts turn to autumn. While valley floors grow greener thanks to late monsoon showers, higher elevations have begun turning orange and gold. Aspen trees, willows and scrub oaks show the first dapples of fall color, and hungry bears have been venturing closer to humans, attempting, the best they can, to prepare for hibernation.
Human communities in the Roaring Fork Valley and broader Western Slope mark this time of year through gatherings. Harvest festivals are already starting, and there’s a full calendar of events, featuring locally grown produce harvests, music and family-friendly fun. The Sopris Sun compiled a list of some of these festivals for readers to consider this season.
Mactoberfest
The annual Mactoberfest takes place on Restaurant Row in Aspen, Sept. 12 from 1 to 3pm.
Aspen’s spin on Oktoberfest hosts a mac-and-cheese community competition each September. The free event, running from 1 to 3pm on Hopkins Avenue, pits local restaurants and a few community teams against each other to compete for best cheesy noodles accolade. Both professionally-judged and community-choice trophies are awarded to the top dishes.
For details, visit aspenspecialevents.com/events/mactoberfest
Mountain Harvest Festival
Across McClure Pass, the 25th annual Paonia Mountain Harvest Festival highlights arts, music, wine, cider and theater in Paonia on Sept. 24-27. The Paonia Public Library hosts a book sale on Friday and Saturday, and local musicians perform each afternoon and evening. Both Saturday and Sunday afternoon, the Paonia Town Park hosts a kid-specific creative zone. This year’s festival also includes a chili cook-off, a Dolly Parton tribute, craft workshops and popular regional bands, including Carbondale favorite Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets.
For details, visit mountainharvestfestival.org
Snowmass Oktoberfest
The Snowmass Oktoberfest returns to Base Village in Snowmass Sept. 26-27.
The second annual celebration runs from noon to 8pm on Saturday and noon to 5pm on Sunday. Attendees are encouraged to wear traditional German attire — think lederhosen and dirndls — and should be prepared for a variety of classic Oktoberfest traditions and eats. While beer, of course, will be limited to attendees 21 and up, all ages are welcome. This year’s festival coincides with the Snowmass Balloon Festival, which starts on Friday, Sept. 25.
For details, visit gosnowmass.com/event/snowmass-oktoberfest
Mountain Top Octoberfest
The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park invites people to any and all of its Octoberfest-themed Saturdays, Sept. 19, Sept. 26, Oct. 3, and Oct. 10.
Glenwood Caverns pours beer and queues up live music these four consecutive Saturdays. In addition to normal park operations, there will be a Pumpkin Patch, face painting, adult Octoberfest-themed games, German foods and souvenirs. The price of admission is a standard ticket up the gondola, and the festival runs from 11am to 5pm each Saturday.
For details, visit glenwoodcaverns.com/events/octoberfest
Potato Days
If you’re already in Carbondale, there’s no reason to miss the 117th annual Potato Days, Oct. 2-4, themed “Root 66” — a nod to the highway’s 100 year anniversary.
The 117th iteration of Potato Days will take over downtown Carbondale the first Saturday in October from 8am to 5pm. This year, the beloved community tradition kicks off during First Friday in Carbondale from 5 to 9pm.
The big day, as usual, is Saturday, which starts out with the Carbondale Rotary Club’s Pancake Breakfast at Chacos Park at 8:30am, followed by Ross Montessori’s Tater Trot at 9am (also from Chacos Park), the Potato Day Parade down Main Street at 10:30am and the famous, locally-sourced barbecue lunch, including potatoes, of course, in Sopris Park from 11:15am until the food runs out! The Sopris Park music lineup includes: Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment DJs paying homage to Route 66 with tunes from 11am to 12:30pm; a contra dance, with the Wooden Nickel String Band and caller Jon Unger from 1:15 to 3pm; and headliner Sweet Jessup and the Dirty Buckets from 3:30 to 5pm.
The weekend culminates with the annual Youth Gymkhana at the Gus Darien Arena on Catherine Store Road from 10am to 2pm.
Keep a lookout for a full feature in The Sopris Sun on Thursday, Oct. 1, or visit the Carbondale Annual Potato Day Facebook page.
Harvest Party
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) location on Hooks Spur Road, Rock Bottom Ranch, hosts its annual Harvest Party on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 11am to 5pm. There will be two harvest sessions during the day for those who want to get into the dirt and help collect squash and other produce. The $17 per person tickets cover hayrides, crafts, dancing, apple pressing and pumpkin carving. Additional catered food and beverages will be available for purchase. Parking will not be available on site, and ACES instead encourages attendees to bike or take shuttles from Emma or Basalt.
For details, visit aspennature.org/activity/2025-harvest-party-october-4
Big B’s Ciderfest
Big B’s Orchards, between Paonia and Hotchkiss, hosts its annual Ciderfest Oct. 9-11. The music festival includes acts such as Hot Buttered Rum, Carbondale local Natalie Spears and Sway Wild and BoomRoots. There will also be morning farmers’ markets and a dedicated kids’ zone from noon to 4pm each day. Folks can camp through the weekend and enjoy local beer and cider tastings, arts vendors and barbecue stands.
For details, visit bigbs.com