Backpacking travel talk
Join P.J. Parmar for a presentation on the backpacking travels described in his book “101 Countries: Discovering the World Through Fast Travel” at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the REI Denver flagship store, 1416 Platte St. The event, which describes travels completed in one year with $12,500, is free. Call REI at 303-756-3100 for information.
North Fork harvest fest
Paonia is hosting the Annual Mountain Harvest Festival, Friday through Sept. 25, celebrating a “harvest” of the best of North Fork. On Friday 5-8 p.m. is a no-rules chili cook-off with a pie contest, music on the street and in restaurants, a prose and poetry reading, art-
show opening and a theater production by kids. Saturday events begin at 9 a.m. with a bike-a-thon, tours of wineries, farms and artists’ studios and more art in shops along Grand Avenue. Saturday-evening highlights include a musical extravaganza. Admission of $15 in advance, $17 at the door includes three simultaneous concerts in three venues with 16 local music groups. The festivities Sunday start at 9:30 a.m. with the Rotary Club’s Bountiful Brunch. Sunday afternoon features a street fair with food, crafts, music and dancing. For information call Pat Gwinn at 970-527-3424 or visit mountainharvestfestival.com.
Steamboat kitchen tour
Steamboat Springs’ Kitchen Tour will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Enjoy a fall foliage day in the mountains while visiting six of Steamboat’s most interesting private kitchens and learning about premiere kitchen design. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of tour. Call Strings in the Mountains at 970-879-5056.
Loveland Stone Age Fair
Loveland’s Stone Age Fair will be 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Pulliam Community Building, 545 N. Cleveland Ave., featuring hundreds of displays of artifacts, lectures by prominent archaeologists, American Indian cultural performances, flintknapping demonstrations, a youth artifact display day and more. The fair is sponsored by the nonprofit Loveland Archaeological Society and involves no buying or selling of artifacts. Free. Stoneagefair.com.
Dinner, mystery, ghosts
Come for dinner and stay for a murder mystery at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Hearthstone Inn, 506 N. Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs. Also offered is the Ghost Hunter University at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. A four-course dinner will be accompanied by a haunted history of the inn, an introduction to methods and techniques used by professional ghost hunters and a full ghost tour including access to areas usually off-limits to guests. The cost for each event is $45. Overnight packages start at $81 per person. 719-473-4413.
Mesa Verde balloon fest
Mesa Verde Country takes flight Friday through Sept. 25 with the annual Balloon Festival. Four launches are scheduled at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Boyle Park in Mancos. Two balloon glows will also light up the valley at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. Flights are available for purchase at the event booth, and tethered rides will be available for $10. The fest also features live music, a cattle drive, The Dog Days of Mancos, a dinner and a Cowboy/Cowgirl theme party at 6 p.m. Saturday. A Vendor Fair will also be held in Boyle Park from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Visit mancoscolorado.com, or call 970-533-9707.
Telluride home tour
Mountain Village in Telluride hosts the Fall Spectacular Home Tour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sept. 25 showcasing mountain architecture, creative interior design and landscapes. Buses from Heritage Plaza shuttle guests to houses. Tickets are $25. The Mountain Lodge at Telluride is offering guests who attend the tour a 25 percent discount on daily rates. 970-369-6417 for tour tickets; for lodging call 866-368-6867 or mountainlodgetelluride.com.
Snowmass Scottish games
From 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, the Highlands Games at Snowmass Village Mall will celebrate centuries-old sports with true Scottish spirit. Also on hand will be Celtic vendors, wares and food, the Colorado Youth Pipe Band, which will provide Scottish Highland dancing and music, and information on Scottish heritage. Free for spectators. 970-925-1663.
Taos arts festival
Art aficionados will enjoy the Taos Fall Arts Festival, the only New Mexico Exhibit with only local artists, on Saturday-Oct. 11. Call 800-732-8267 or visit taosfallarts.com.
