This year’s Heritage Festival has been postponed and will take place on Oct. 2, 2027, due to the low apple harvest yield that many of the apple farms in the West End are experiencing.
The low apple yield can be explained by the harsh weather conditions during the spring and early summer months. With the unseasonably warm early spring followed by a hard freeze at the end of April, the majority of the growing apple blossoms dropped from the trees. This left almost total apple crop loss in multiple established apple farms across Western Colorado counties. Apple farms in San Miguel, Montrose, Montezuma and Delta counties have all reported insignificant apple crop yield this season.
Compared to the bountiful harvest these farms experienced last year, West End apple farms are extremely limited in their supply. Due to this, many are unable to contribute to this year’s Heritage Festival.
In preparation for previous Heritage Festivals, local orchards in the area donated around 30 bushels, or 1,200 pounds of apples, to support the community event with many of those apples going toward the apple variety table and the old-time apple press. Being the two main activities for the festival, the lack of apples in the area has severely limited the ability to present these activities to the community.
Melanie Eggers, one of the founders of the Apple Core Project (ACP), a nonprofit organization whose goal is to preserve heritage apples in the West End, is confident in their crop’s ability to bounce back next year. After some research and speaking with the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project, she learned that many of the ACP’s apple trees are biennial heritage apple trees. Biennial trees produce apples every other year, and when faced with harsher growing conditions, like a hard freeze, these strains tend to grow back stronger and more resistant to harsh weather.
“Their resilience inspires me, and I am proud of what our community and our orchards can accomplish together,” Eggers said.
Despite not being able to celebrate the area’s heritage apples this year, Eggers encourages the public to support the other upcoming community events this autumn that celebrate the legacy of the West End.
“I strongly encourage everyone to use the funds you would have spent at the festival to support other local heritage events. Your support truly makes a difference,” Eggers said. Upcoming local heritage events include the 12th annual West End Cowboy Poetry Gathering that takes place on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Nucla Town Park, as well as the Pack Burro Race hosted in Naturita on Oct. 10. Vendors are encouraged to register for both events.
The West End Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a community event meant to celebrate Western Colorado ranchers and producers with performances from cowboy poets and musicians. The music festival will host a West End cowboy cook-off, as well as include local vendors for the community to enjoy. Sponsorships and donations are welcome and will be acknowledged in the event program.
The ACP founders are thankful for all of the community support they’ve received this harvest season, and are excited to attend the Cowboy Poetry Gathering to share their warm apple cider and enjoy the community and entertainment. Next year will be the 10th celebration of the Heritage Festival and the ACP will be using the time to plan for their anticipated robust harvest.
“We are taking a break with the trees but will be back next season,” Eggers said.
For more information on the Apple Core Project , the public may visit their website: www.applecoreproject.org. To register as a vendor for a future Heritage Festival or to schedule an educational visit or tour at Pinion Farm Homestead, Eggers invites all to call 970-708-3972 or email her at meggers73@gmail.com.
For more information on the Cowboy Poetry Gathering or how to register for a team in the cook-off, all are invited to visit the Nucla-Naturita Area Chamber of Commerce website: http://www.nucla-naturita.com/. To be a sponsor for the event or to send a donation, all are invited to fill out the form on this link: https://form.jotform.com/240106570165145.
