Paonia, Colorado

Orchards, mesas and spectacular mountains create the backdrop for the tiny town of Paonia. Sweetness describes the town, sustained by a strong economy based on apples, peaches, apricots, cherries, pears and grapes. With only 1500 residents and no traffic jams, Paonia sits under the shelter of Mount Lamborn on the North Fork of the Gunnison River. Artists, activists, coal miners and farmers create a unique community here. It makes quite a statement when a town's main street is only twice as long as its one-block long town park. Paonia is a town with priorities on nature, family activities and community. The park has tennis courts, skateboarding and rollerblading, softball fields, as well as lots of picnic space for family gatherings. Agriculture is a major income produce, as is coal. And balancing these two is a strong environmental consciousness.

Settled in 1881, Paonia was named for the Peony roots brought by the first settler. The original valley was heavily covered with timber and sagebrush, and the river created very rich soil, allowing the fruit trees brought by the settlers to flourish. Fruit and agriculture were the original industries followed by cattle and coal mining. These industries sustained the growing area, with cycles of expansion and contraction depending on the weather.

Experience true Americana with the 4th of July Cherry Days parade and festival, which has been celebrated for over 50 years. If you are looking for a small town old-fashioned holiday, book early at one of the Bed & Breakfasts or at one of the town's motels. Cherry Days hosts the largest parade in the county, year after year! Imagine kids riding their bikes with red, white & blue streamers in the spokes, a Clown Kazoo Band, vintage cars, Dancing, Singing, Class Reunion Floats, Unicycles, etc. etc. This parade has it all!

On Main Street, serious journalists still crank out a nationally recognized and highly progressive environmental newspaper known as the High Country News. Unabashed, investigative journalism reigns above all, and the paper's supporters, including some Grateful Dead members, cherish it.

Two adjacent history museums, the Paonia Museum and the Bowie Schoolhouse Museum, offer a step back into the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Explore the abandoned mines still scattered around town or cool off at Paonia Reservoir in Paonia State Park. Paonia State Park lets you camp near a babbling stream and water-ski on a mountain reservoir in view of the majestic Ragged Mountains. Steep mountainsides give this lake an alpine flavor.

The Lands End Foundry is the only two-story foundry in Colorado and has brought many artists to Paonia. The large art community includes weavers, photographers, quilters, PleinAir artists, sculpturists, and talented musicians. Many specialty furniture craftsmen have studios here. Not only does the Paradise Theater have standard movies but during the winter months it presents foreign films every other week.

Outside of town are the orchards and vineyards. Paonia sits in the middle of the West Elks American Viticulture Area, a nationally designated grape growing area. Quiet back roads make enjoyable bike touring. There are four wineries in Paonia:

• Aquila Hills Farm & Vineyards
• Black Bridge Winery
• Puesta del Sol Vineyards - Alfred Eames Cellars
• Stone Cottage Cellers

Fresh fruit is available at the orchards. The season runs from cherries in early July, peaches in August, apples and grapes in the fall. Color season starts with the orchard blossoms late April and ends with the gold Aspens in mid October.

Paonia is a unique community, filled with activism. KVNF is a Paonia-based public radio station that broadcasts from Grand Junction to Lake City to Naturita, with music to fit every taste plus national shows and news. Many of the NPR commentary writers are from this area. The Blue Sage is a community-owned performing arts center. Check the schedule in their front window because often nationally known artists/writers are presenters. The music scene in Paonia includes a valley symphony, a valley youth orchestra, various chamber groups plus many contemporary groups/entertainers.

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