On tap: Meekerpalooza, 10K run, farmers market, flea market, metal art competition, fish fry
MEEKER I Saturday will be a busy day in and around Meeker as six events will take place starting at 8 a.m. and running through 9 p.m. at venues stretching from downtown Meeker to the annual fish fry at the Buford School, roughly 24 miles east of town.
The first event of the day is the first farmers market of the year. The event will run from 8 a.m. to noon in downtown Meeker at the intersection of Main and Fifth streets.
The market connects local and surrounding area businesses with the public to bring in the freshest quality foods and handcrafted goods. The market will be a monthly event with the next three dates on July 23, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10.
For more information, check out facebook.com/meekerfarmersmarket/
The next event is the Park to Art 10 kilometer (6.2 miles) run. The race is for all ages and incorporates the lower trails of Phillip and Dorcas Jensen Memorial Park and road running through town with the finish at the Meekerpalooza Arts and Music Festival at Ute Park, just outside the west end of Meeker on Main Street.
Registration, which runs from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the dirt parking lot above Paintbrush Park, includes an event shirt, drawstring backpack, free admission into Meekerpalooza, $10 in Chamber Bucks to use towards food/beverage at Meekerpalooza and a finisher medal.
Registration is $45 for’ runners 17 years and under and 60 years and over; and $50 for adults. Interested participants may sign up at parktoart.com.
Additionally, runners can practice for trail and road running by joining the rec center’s new Meeker Running Club Series, which starts the first week of June. See details in the Summer Activity Line-Up.
If you are not a runner, but are at least 13 years of age and interested in volunteering to help with the race, please contact Nicole at the Meeker Recreation Center at 878-3403, Ext. 417.
The Meekerpalooza Arts and Music Festival, which is being held at Ute Park just west of downtown, will run from noon to 9 p.m.
This event provides fun for the entire family and is brought to you by the Meeker Arts and Cultural Council and the Eastern Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation and Parks District.
Events include live music performances, workshops and demonstrations.
There will be an art walk, the Taste of Meeker, a beer garden, a kids’ art zone, the early morning Park to Art 10K Run and the Metal Art Competition.
Tickets to Meekerpalooza are available online or at the door. Adults are $5 and seniors and children are free.
For more information, check meekerpalooza.com.
Part of Meekerpalooza is the Metal Art Competition. This is the inaugural event sponsored by the ERBM Recreation and Parks District.
The various metal works by the finalists will be on display at the Meekerpalooza Art and Music Festival. The top three art sculptures will be displayed at Meeker Town Park.
For more information on the metal art competition, contact Ben Martinez at 878-3403, Ext. 412. or check meekerrecdistrict.com.
Also running all day is the Meeker Community Yard Sale and Flea Market. If you have too much stuff or are looking for more treasure, the sale and flea market will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 272 Market St., in the parking area between Aerocare and Restored Grace.
Vendors can set up on Friday anytime after 4 p.m., but they must be ready to sell by 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Vendors will need to bring their own tables, chairs and cash, and they will need to call 878-0813 or text 970-629-9215 to reserve a spot, which costs $10 per space.
To wrap up the day, take a relaxing drive up Rio Blanco County Road 8, then turn right at the Lake Avery entrance onto County Road 17 and travel for a couple miles to the Buford School for the annual fish fry.
The event, which features all the white fish, salad, desserts and side dishes you can eat, is a fundraiser event to help pay for upkeep and maintenance of the Buford School
Advance tickets and more information are available at 970-878-0955 or 878-5510 (Meeker Chamber of Commerce). Tickets are $10 for adults from 12-64 years, seniors 65 years and above are $8, children from 6-11 years are $5 and children 5 and under are free.
