This weekend in Grand Junction, CO

A free, hands-on traffic safety program at the Grand Junction High School parking lot is open to Mesa County students ages 15 to 18. Hosted by Grand Junction High School with support from Mesa County Valley School District 51, the Colorado State Patrol, and other community organizations, the event features interactive stations on distracted driving, impaired driving awareness, seat belt use, defensive driving, and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Two sessions are available, and registration can be completed in person on the day of the event or online in advance. Students who finish the program receive a certificate of completion and a free school parking pass for the 2026-27 school year.

The farmer’s market returns to Cross Orchards Historic Site for the summer, featuring vendors with local produce and farm goods, baked goods and specialty foods, handmade arts and crafts, and booths from local businesses and community organizations. Food trucks provide extra dining options while visitors browse. After exploring the market, visitors can purchase admission to the Historic Site to continue the experience.

The Westgrove Experience, featuring Tom Musgrove and Diane West, brings live music to the Fruita Farmer's Market. Shop the market with their performance as a musical backdrop.

A friendly community gathering in Downtown Fruita at Civic Center Park showcases local goods and homegrown talent. Wander through, explore what neighbors are creating, and enjoy the welcoming park atmosphere.

Presented by Spiritual Conversations With Don and Hotchkiss Paranormal Investigators, this fourth annual Gathering brings a warm focus on metaphysical exploration, healing, spirit, and the paranormal to the Grand Junction Convention Center. Attendees can explore readings and energy work with a variety of practitioners, including psychic mediums, card and pendulum readers, healers, and Reiki masters. A singing bowl practitioner will play throughout the day to offer sound bowl healing. There will also be a marketplace of vendors with unique items, along with several paranormal groups available to share merchandise and answer questions about investigations and more. Admission is $5 per person for the entire day, and children under 12 are admitted free. Payment is made at the door. The event is set in the Colorado 2 room, expanding capacity to 40 tables.

Experience a sensory-friendly hour at Dinosaur Journey with no background noise, dimmed lighting throughout the gallery, and reduced admission.

Catch the August Spectacular at the Mesa County Fairgrounds in Grand Junction. It’s a weekend horse show with events scheduled across Saturday and Sunday.

Hosted by Western Colorado Amateur Radio, this annual Hamfest & Swapmeet continues a longstanding amateur radio tradition.

Triple Play Records presents a free live music series in downtown Grand Junction, featuring performances by local and regional artists. The concerts are made possible with support from community sponsors including Mesa Theater, The Roost Kitchen & Bar, Rebel Treasures, Fat Cat Pottery, Pablo's Pizza, Ink 19, Mesa Jewelers, Willow Creek Herbs and Teas, The Gear Junction, Feisty Pint, The Zephyr Women’s Clothing, Out West Books, Pandora's Piercing & Fine Jewelry, Pollux Clothing Company, Downtown Grand Junction, Crescent Moon, Cruise Control Kitchen + Cellar, Old Friends Trading Company GJ, The Rockslide Brewery and Restaurant, Working Artists Gallery & Stained Glass Supplies, J.B. Hart Music Co., Inc., CanvaScape, Gentleman's Quality Barber Co., Williams Mercantile, Lavender Bee Montessori, Moody's Lounge, Moodys Underground, Pivot Provisions, Willys Wild Wieners, Colorado Fruit Design, B' N' Trees Arborist, Robins Nest Antiques, Neway Refillery, Rooted Valley GJ, 1836 Entertainment, Main Street Bagels, and Triple Play Records. Support the businesses that champion local music, local artists, and the community.

Lincoln Park in Grand Junction becomes a full day festival celebrating hope, music, food, culture, and community. Marking a fifth year milestone, this edition is the biggest to date and continues a tradition that brings families, friends, newcomers, and familiar faces together for connection. The lineup features Lost Junction Band, R3LIXX, Taylor Woods, Wowzers, Lyrik Devian, Baltic & Birch, Misti Dawn, and Mello Cello, with additional performers to be announced as it builds toward its largest stage yet. More than a concert, it is a statement and a celebration of growth, recovery, and the people who make it possible. Vendor and food truck opportunities, along with sponsorships, are available through the organizers.

Grand Junction’s Barnes & Noble will be the site of a Colorado paperback release event. The gathering marks the arrival of a new paperback title in a bookstore setting.

Enjoy a relaxed paint and sip class at Grande River Vineyards in Palisade that pairs creativity with local wine. All levels are welcome, with a local artist leading the group through each step, and all materials are provided so no prior experience is needed. Come with a partner or a friend, sip your favorite drinks, and explore your artistic side. Plan to arrive a little early to pick up beverages, order food, and get comfortable before painting begins.

Build practical self-protection skills in a focused workshop at Martial Arts Research Systems of Colorado. The training centers on Ground Zero, a starting point for creating leverage and escaping when held down, even by a larger opponent. Participants work through mobility drills that sharpen awareness of range of motion and personal strengths, then apply leverage-based techniques to counter strikes, disrupt weapon access, gain control, get back to their feet, and disengage safely. Open to ages 13 and up. Pricing options include pre-registration at $89, standard registration at $129, and late registration at $199. Instruction is led by Guro Larry St. Clair, a veteran coach with more than 40 years in martial arts, combatives, and fitness. His experience includes Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Savate, MMA, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, along with operating large training programs and earning world titles as both competitor and coach. He focuses on performance and fitness, nutrition, self-defense, and edged weapon defense. He leads Martial Way Legacy in Austin, collaborates with the Martial Arts Research Systems team, directs education for Core Concept Coaching while producing online courses, and serves as a long-time instructor with the A Girl and A Gun National Shooting Organization.

The Anti-Everything Tour brings Ded to Mesa Theater with special guests Dropout Kings and VRSTY. This live concert features all three acts on one bill.

Sunday mornings in downtown Palisade feature The High Lonesome Ranch sharing its regenerative, 100 percent grass-finished beef at the market. As an Audubon certified ranch on the Western Slope, the team uses its herd to support ecological health and restore soils, and it highlights how a healthy working landscape contributes to conservation in Colorado. Shoppers can find grass-finished steaks, roasts, and ground beef, learn about landscape projects that promote habitat connections across the Western Wildway, and enter a season-long sweepstakes for a chance to win a 50 pound box of grass-finished ground beef. Weekly complimentary delivery is available for Mesa County residents.

Created for those who have never taken part in shooting competitions, this introductory class provides a guided start to IDPA, USPSA, and SCSA. Sessions run monthly at the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex and deliver three hours of instruction led by certified Range Safety Officers from IDPA and USPSA. The program begins with a safety briefing, continues with the rules and core fundamentals for each sport, and includes live fire on stages from all three disciplines.

Families are invited to the Backpack Bonanza Backpack Giveaway, a free distribution of backpacks to help local students start the new school year prepared and confident. Backpacks are available for children from kindergarten through high school. Distribution is limited to one backpack per child and is offered while supplies last. The event is hosted by Uni’K Event Kreations, LLC, with support from B.A.C.A.

Catch IV and The Strange Band live at Mesa Theater. The show is scheduled for Sunday evening with doors opening earlier so you can get settled before the performance begins.