Cooling temperatures, changing leaf colors, and the sudden appearance of pumpkins and apple cider at grocery stores all herald the beginning of the autumn season. For Cañon City, a staple of the transition between late summer and fall is the annual Harvest Festival.
The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey will host the 22nd annual Harvest Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on the winery grounds at 3011 E. U.S. 50.
"It's a real privilege to be able to host an annual celebration of the harvest that people come back to year after year, from near and from far away. It is a testament to the quality of the event, our staff, our history, and our role in promoting the Royal Gorge Region and Colorado Wine," said Larry Oddo, owner/CEO of The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey.
The festival, which celebrates the varied agriculture and arts of Southern Colorado, will bring together wine, artisans, food, and entertainment both for locals and those from far and wide.
"People have come year after year, they've come from as far away from Florida and New York," Oddo said. "We take pride in every aspect of the industry that we touch -- agriculture, tourism, hospitality, and food."
After the 10 a.m. blessing of the harvest by Father Jesse Perez on Saturday, the festival will be free and open to the public.
The Abbey Winery's award-winning wines will be available for both tasting and purchase at six booths -- each manned by a wine connoisseur -- and include sweet, dry, red, white wines, and many others.
Fan-favorite Colon Orchards will be on hand with a variety of fresh produce such as apples, roasted chiles, and other fall delights and will be bolstered by the presence of more than 50 vendors. Attendees can expect a variety of hand-crafted, Colorado-made goods, such as jewelry, pottery, art, and more -- each of which serves as a testament to the spirit of the festival.
"We make sure that we don't have too much of one thing and that, what we do have, is hand-crafted and is local to Colorado," Oddo said. "It's important to support local [businesses]."
Food trucks, such as From the Flames Pizza and Chicago Bob's, will be on-site to cater to attendees' appetites but the real show-stopper of the event will undoubtedly be the wine tasting.
Wine tasting is available for $12/person and will include a commemorative logo wine glass and five tasting tickets totaling five ounces of wine. Additionally, tasting tickets can be purchased ($8 for 5 tickets) and bottle service is available. No reservations are necessary.
Like years prior, the festival will feature a VIP tent for its Congregation Wine Club members complete with its own bar, server, and all of the Winery's available wines. Not a member of the club? No problem. Membership sign-up will be available at the tent during the event.
The Cañon City Noon Lions will host a Flying Lion Drop at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Rather than a cement mixer, a Cañon City Area Fire Department truck and ladder will be used to airdrop 750 stress-ball-like lions on the gathered crowd at the Harvest Festival. Each lion will be stamped with both the Noon Lions Club's logo, as well as numbers that correspond to the various people who decide to partake in the event. Tickets for the drop are $10 and are available at the Abbey.
Families should note that the event will not have a kids zone this year and pets are not allowed on the grounds. Service animals are the only exception.
Below is a live music schedule for the 2024 Harvest Festival:
Saturday
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wayne Hammerstadt Jazz Fusion
2-6 p.m. Deja Bluz-Classic Rock
Sunday
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gentle Rain – Smooth Jazz
1:30-5 p.m. Deep Blue Sea – Pop, Rock, R&B
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