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🔥 Top 3 Things To Do This Week
Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 3–4 — $30 Adult Advance / $10 Kids 5–12 — 8:30 AM–5 PM — Grand Junction Regional Airport
The Blue Angels headline one of the biggest events to hit the Grand Valley this year, joined by additional aerial performers, aircraft displays and exhibits. Important for readers: there is no public parking at the airport this year; spectators will use designated parking areas and event shuttles. Adult GA increases to $40 at the gate.
Friday & Saturday, Oct. 2–3 — FREE — Downtown Grand Junction
The Downtown Art Festival takes over the Creative District for two days. Friday features the First Friday Art Walk from 5–9 PM, while Saturday brings the Artist Expo on Main Street, live artist demonstrations, cultural performances, new Art on the Corner installations and more.
Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 PM & Sunday, Oct. 4 at 3 PM — $5.25–$68.25 — Avalon Theatre
Joe Hisaishi's music from Spirited Away takes center stage in a family-friendly GJSO concert, joined by Respighi, Barber and Puccini and guest soprano Magdalena Kuzma.
📅 Mesa County Event Calendar
MONDAY - 28
🚵 MUT Dig Day at Electric Hills — FREE — 5–8 PM — Electric Hills Trailhead
COPMOBA's Grand Valley Trails crew is looking for volunteers to help tackle trail-maintenance projects at Electric Hills.
TUESDAY - 29
🎶 Music in the Grapevines: Exit 42 — Ticketed — 6 PM — Two Rivers Winery
The July rainout gets its makeup date as longtime local favorite Exit 42 brings country and Southern rock to Two Rivers. Gates open at 5 PM and music begins at 6.
🎸 The Rasmus at Mesa Theater — $31.09 Advance — 7:30 PM — Mesa Theater
Finnish alternative-rock band The Rasmus, best known for “In the Shadows,” visits Grand Junction with Saint Agnes and Death Valley Dreams. Doors open at 6:30 PM; all ages.
🗣️ Healing Rooms of the Grand Valley — FREE — 6:30–8:30 PM — 1333 North 23rd St., Grand Junction
Non-denominational prayer support is available for physical, spiritual, emotional, or financial needs; no appointment required.
WEDNESDAY - 30
🎷 Jazz That Rocks — $39+ Fees — 7 PM — Avalon Theatre
Award-winning jazz and pops artist/conductor Matt Catingub leads an ensemble through jazz-powered takes on popular music from the past 50 years. Doors open at 6 PM.
🎷 CMU Jazz & Commercial Ensembles — FREE — 7:30 PM — Warehouse25sixty-five
Three CMU ensembles share the stage for a free night of pop, rock and jazz. Red Rock Roots and Red Rock Rhythm handle the rock and pop side while the CMU Jazz Ensemble brings big-band and contemporary jazz; food and drinks will be available.
THURSDAY - 01
🎬 No Man’s Land Film Festival — $10–$25 — 5–8 PM — Confluence Center of Colorado
Nine short films celebrate women and adventure at this all-ages film festival benefiting Girls on the Run of Western Colorado. A social hour and silent auction begin at 5 PM, films start at 6 PM, and the evening wraps with a Q&A featuring Fruita resident, filmmaker and athlete Zelzin Aketzalli.
🎭 Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors — Ticketed — 7:30 PM — Asteria Theatre
Two sets of identical twins unknowingly end up in the same city in Shakespeare’s fast-moving farce of mistaken identities, confusion and escalating chaos. The production runs Oct. 1–3.
🎸 Nirvanna: A Tribute to Nirvana — $18.14+ — 8 PM — Warehouse25sixty-five
Go back to 1991 with Nirvanna, a touring Nirvana tribute recreating the sound, look and energy of the grunge legends. Doors open at 7 PM.
FRIDAY - 02
🎨 Downtown Art Festival: First Friday Art Walk — FREE — 5–9 PM — Downtown Grand Junction
Downtown galleries kick off Art Festival weekend with a lively First Friday gallery walk throughout the Creative District.
🩰 Peter & the Wolf / Firebird — $15+ — 7 PM — Grand Junction High School
Colorado West Ballet opens its fifth season with two family-friendly one-act ballets. Peter and the Wolf brings Prokofiev’s classic musical fairy tale to life, followed by the magical story of Prince Ivan and the Firebird.
🎭 Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors — Ticketed — 7:30 PM — Asteria Theatre
CMU Theatre continues its production of Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity.
🎸 Crawling: An Early Tribute to Linkin Park — $18.14+ — 8 PM — Warehouse25sixty-five
Crawling brings the sound and energy of early Linkin Park to Grand Junction with a show built around the Hybrid Theory and Meteora eras. Doors open at 7 PM.
SATURDAY - 03
✈️ Grand Junction Air Show — $30 Adult Advance / $10 Kids — 8:30 AM–5 PM — Grand Junction Regional Airport
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels headline two days of aerial performances and aircraft displays. No public parking is available on-site; spectators must use event shuttle locations.
📺 Rocky Mountain PBS KIDS FEST — FREE — 10 AM–2 PM — Lincoln Park
Arthur, Clifford, Nature Cat and Luna headline a free family event with face painting, a scavenger hunt, community art and activities from local organizations.
🎨 Downtown Art Festival Artist Expo — FREE — 11 AM–5 PM — Main Street, Downtown Grand Junction
Artists fill Main Street between 3rd and 7th with original work, live demonstrations and performances, alongside the latest Art on the Corner installations.
🍺 Friends of the West Invitational Beer Fest — Ticketed — 1–5 PM — Downtown Grand Junction
A new addition to Art Festival weekend brings Colorado breweries downtown while raising money for the Avalon Theatre Foundation and Colorado Brewers Guild.
🎭 Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors — Ticketed — 2 PM & 7:30 PM — Asteria Theatre
Two Saturday performances wrap up CMU Theatre’s run of Shakespeare’s chaotic comedy featuring two pairs of identical twins.
🍩 FAMpoint5K — The Race for the Rest of Us — $22.20+ — 2 PM — Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
Forget 3.1 miles: this intentionally ridiculous, donut-fueled .5K fundraiser supports Foster Alumni Mentors and CMU's MavFAM community.
🩰 Peter & the Wolf / Firebird — $15+ — 2 PM & 7 PM — Grand Junction High School
Colorado West Ballet presents two Saturday performances of its season-opening double bill featuring Peter and the Wolf and Firebird.
🎼 GJSO: Spirited Away — $5.25–$68.25 — 7:30 PM — Avalon Theatre
Joe Hisaishi's acclaimed Spirited Away suite anchors the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra's Saturday-night program.
🎬 Movies Under the Stars: Minions & Monsters — $10 Per Person / $30 Families of 3+ — Dusk — Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
Bring the family for an outdoor screening of Minions & Monsters under the stars at the Botanical Gardens. The movie begins at dusk at 655 Struthers Ave.
🎪 Western Colorado Shrine Circus — $20 Adults / $10 Kids — 7:30 PM — Mesa County Fairgrounds
The Jordan World Circus rolls into Grand Junction with an evening of family entertainment at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. Kids 2 and under are free, and discounted family packages are available online.
🎸 The Boys of Summer: The Music of the Eagles — $18.14+ — 7:30 PM — Warehouse25sixty-five
The Boys of Summer bring the music of the Eagles to Grand Junction with a touring tribute show featuring the band's biggest classics. Doors open at 7 PM.
SUNDAY - 04
✈️ Grand Junction Air Show — Day 2 — $30 Adult Advance / $10 Kids — 8:30 AM–5 PM — Grand Junction Regional Airport
The Blue Angels and the rest of the Air Show lineup return for a second full day over Grand Junction.
🍑 Final Palisade Farmers Market of 2026 — FREE — 9 AM–1 PM — Downtown Palisade
One last chance for the season to shop local produce, food, art and handmade goods at the Palisade Farmers Market. Oct. 4 is the market's final Sunday of 2026.
🎪 Western Colorado Shrine Circus — $20 Adults / $10 Kids — 10 AM & 3 PM — Mesa County Fairgrounds
The Jordan World Circus returns for two Sunday performances, giving families two more chances to catch the traveling circus before it leaves Grand Junction.
🎼 GJSO: Spirited Away — Sunday Matinee — $5.25–$68.25 — 3 PM — Avalon Theatre
The Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra presents its second and final performance of the weekend.
🎸 Skinlab at Mesa Theater — $20–$25 — 8 PM — Mesa Theater
Metal veterans Skinlab close out the weekend at Mesa Theater with The Ashes. Tickets start at $20.
⭐ Good News Mesa County ⭐
After years of planning and construction, Grand Junction's new Community Recreation Center officially opened Sept. 25 at 2836 Recreation Way. The opening marks a major new addition to the city's recreation options, including its new aquatic and fitness spaces.
New banners by local artist Andrea Downs now cover Fruita's landmark COOP Tower, incorporating more than 150 community-created flowers alongside a cyclist and Greta the Dinosaur. Even better: the new viewing telescope at Mulberry Plaza previously spent several years atop the Empire State Building.
This Week in Sports
TUESDAY — SEPT. 29
⚽ Central Boys Soccer vs. Palisade — 7:15 PM — Central High School
THURSDAY — OCT. 1
🏈 Central Football vs. Summit — 7 PM — Central High School
⚽ Fruita Monument Boys Soccer vs. Grand Junction — 7:15 PM — Fruita Monument High School
FRIDAY — OCT. 2
🏐 CMU Volleyball vs. Western Colorado — 6 PM — Brownson Arena
⚽ CMU Women’s Soccer vs. Florida Tech — 7 PM — Community Hospital Unity Field — PAC the Field
🏈 Palisade Football vs. Eagle Valley — 7 PM — Palisade High School
🏒 CMU Hockey vs. Colorado State — 7 PM — River City Sportplex
SATURDAY — OCT. 3
🏒 CMU Hockey vs. Colorado State — 2:30 PM — River City Sportplex
🏐 CMU Volleyball vs. Fort Lewis — 3 PM — Brownson Arena — Dig Pink Game
🏈 CMU Football vs. Chadron State — 6 PM — Stocker Stadium — Cancer Awareness Weekend2
🔜 Coming Up Soon
😂 John Crist Live — Friday, Oct. 9 — 7 PM — Avalon Theatre
Comedian John Crist brings his national John Crist Live! tour to Grand Junction.
🏮 Water Lights at Night + Colorado 150/America 250 Drone Show — Saturday, Oct. 10 — 5–8 PM — Las Colonias Butterfly Pond
Hundreds of illuminated lanterns launch across Butterfly Pond at sunset, followed after dark by a special choreographed drone show celebrating Colorado's 150th and America's 250th anniversaries.
💃 1940s Hangar Dance — Saturday, Oct. 10 — $35 Single / $60 Couple — Grand Junction Regional Airport
The Rocky Mountain Wing's annual dance brings live swing music, WWII-era aircraft and vintage style back to the airport. Swing lessons begin at 6 PM with dancing from 7–10 PM.
🎷 Spyro Gyra — Ticketed — Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 PM — Asteria Theatre
Contemporary jazz legends Spyro Gyra bring more than five decades of touring experience to Grand Junction. The band has released 35 albums and performed more than 10,000 shows across six continents.
🤠 Grand Junction Rockestra Goes…Country (Rock) — Ticketed — Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 PM — Asteria Theatre
Rockestra takes on country, Southern rock, outlaw country and more with songs from artists including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Alabama, the Eagles and the Allman Brothers. Nashville guitarist Bart Walker, who plays lead guitar for Hank Williams Jr. and Jamey Johnson, joins as the featured guest.
👄 Rocky Horror Picture Show — Interactive Movie — $25 — Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 PM — Avalon Theatre
The Avalon’s interactive screening of the cult classic returns with a prop bag included in the ticket price. Doors open at 6 PM, the movie starts at 7 PM, and this year’s event is ages 17+.
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Event details are subject to change. Please confirm times, locations, and availability with the event organizer before attending.
That's a wrap for this week! If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to get it every Monday, subscribe for free at mesacountydigest.com.
See you next week,
Adam
Mesa County Digest
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