Friday, November 8, 2024
Small Town Vibe
Population 1000-2999

Palisade, CO: Our 5 Favorite Things about the Peach Capital of Colorado!

Small Town Vibe

Palisade, CO

population 2,565*

July 2024: We were eager to finally visit Palisade, to learn why it is so famous for its peaches, and to try some of the area’s peachy products. Keep reading to learn more about how Palisade Peaches have become so popular!

Palisade is located off of I70 and is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Palisade – A Brief History

The first inhabitants of the Grand Valley were Ute Indians.

After Western Colorado was open to white settlement, fruit orchards were established. In 1882, the first settler in the Palisade area (J.P. Harlow) raised fruit and vegetables on his ranch on Rapid Creek. In 1884, W.A. Pease is credited as the first settler in Palisade, homesteading 160 acres that came to be the south and west parts of Palisade. Palisade was incorporated in 1904, named for the cliffs near the town site.

An Agricultural Haven

Early settlers figured out how to divert irrigation water from the Colorado River (known as the Grand River until 1921), so a series of dams and canals were constructed. In 1883 the Grand Valley Canal was built south of town. Subsequent irrigation projects have made Palisae one of the most productive agricultural regions in Colorado. The climate, an 182-day growing season, and an average 78 percent of sunshine has earned Palisade the title of “Peach Capital of Colorado”.

An early economy of Coal Mining

Coal mining began here in 1884 when George Smith opened the Bookcliff Coal Mine west of Mt. Garfield. Eventually, more than a dozen coal mines operated around Palisade, which also contributed to Palisade’s early economy. The largest coal mine in the area was called the Cameo Mine, and it provided coal for the Public Service Company power plant built in 1957, operating until 2010. Today Cameo is the site of the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife shooting range known as the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex.

Grant River Diversion Dam

In 1915, the Grand River Diversion Dam was completed. It is a German roller crest design that diverts river water into the Government Highline Canal, supplying five irrigation canals throughout the Grand Valley covering about 33,000 acres stretching from Palisade west to Mack.

Wine Industry comes to the Western Slope

In 1968, a Denver dentist and winery owner hired a young winemaker away from Napa’s Robert Mondavi Winery to select California grapes and make wine at his Denver winery, Ivancie Cellars. That winemaker was Warren Winiarski who founded Stags Leap Cellars in Napa and won the Judgement of Paris in 1976. When the Limited Winery Act was passed in 1977 there were two licensed wineries in Colorado. In 1990, when the Wine Industry Development Act was passed there were five wineries. The last 28 years has seen tremendous growth as Colorado. (source: Coloradowine.com). Palisade has been at the center of the Colorado wine industry growth ever since.

smalltown vibe

Our 5 Favorite Things to do and see in Palisade

We LOVE a vibrant downtown! There is much to do and see in this lovely place.

Plan your visit at VisitPalisade.com

#1. Walk around historic downtown – There is so much Public Art and Photo Ops!

Once we arrived in downtown Palisade, we parked next to a turkey statue. We soon realized there is an incredible collection of outdoor art installations – so cool! The art culture vibe in Palisade is evident as you walk around and enjoy the views.

Local art shops

We learned that the Palisade downtown public art collection is the result of the efforts of The Palisade Art Vision (PAV).

Palisade loves to celebrate our local artists! The Palisade Art Vision (PAV) was formed in 2015 by a group of local citizens and artists to promote and embrace “art as a part of everyday life.” PAV envisions an outdoor sculpture program to promote a visible aesthetic voice to the Town of Palisade. We love being the home of these incredible pieces of art and hope that you enjoy them, too, as you pass through our town! Our artists loan their work, free of charge, for one year. In return, sculptors are provided an installation stipend, recognition, and promotion. Pieces are available for purchase or offered as a legacy program to honor a loved one.

#2. Downtown Palisade has a bunch of our favorite Third Places! – all within easy walking distance

We love community hang out places! Palisade has an astonishing collection, including a Brewery, a Distillery, multiple Winery/Wine bars, bakeries and our favorite – local coffee shops! Lots of good restaurants as well.

#3. Lots of “non-drinking” options of things to do and see around town

We didn’t get to try out any of these places, but it’s great to have so many options!

#4. So many area Vineyards and Wineries! Many also host community events

#5. Use Palisade as a home base for visiting Colorado’s Western Slope

There are SO MANY things to do in the area that I won’t even begin to list them here. See the tourism-sponsored links below for options and ideas!

More to Explore!

Palisade has an active tourism industry – so there is a LOT of information online!

Annual Events

  • April: Home – Edesia Palisade – A wine & culinary adventure, located at the Colorado Wine Country Inn Ballroom. This is a fundraiser for Marillac Health, Mesa County’s Community Health Center that provides a wide range of primary healthcare services to people of all ages, regardless of income or insurance status.
  • April: Palisade International Honeybee Festival – located in the Town Plaza in downtown Palisade, this is “a community-driven festival created in 2008 to educate the public about the worldwide crisis on colony collapse and to support of a healthy honeybee population worldwide and its impact on agriculture in the Grand Valley, Colorado, and the world.“
  • Sumer: Sunday Farmers Market
  • June: Bluegrass & Roots Festival – located in Riverbend Park, Palisade “celebrating its love for hot pickin’ guitars, outstanding artistry, blazing fiddles and Colorado sunshine.“
  • June: Annual Colorado Lavender Festival – – located in Riverbend Park, Palisade and hosted by the Lavender Association of Colorado.
  • August: Annual Palisade Peach Festival – located in Riverbend Park, Palisade
  • September: Colorado Mountain Winefest – located in Riverbend Park, Palisade

Organizations that support Community in Palisade

As with most places, it takes a wide variety of people and groups to build community! Below are some of the organizations i learned about online.

Map of Palisade

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