Now This is Colorado

06/01/2026

Got a sweet tooth in the family? Chaffee County has you covered. 🍬 Whether you are 7 or 70, there is something about walking into a candy shop that just hits differently. And our towns have some of the best shops around..!

Step into for handcrafted sweets and a shop that feels like it was made for wandering. Pull into Steadman’s for a cold nostalgic root beer and a candy selection that will have the kids losing their minds in the best possible way. 

And do not miss , a legendary New Mexico candy maker now inside a gorgeous historic building in the valley. Their chile caramel alone is worth the drive. 🌶🍬
This is the kind of stop that turns a road trip into a memory. Small town candy shops, nostalgic treats, and zero guilt because you are on vacation.

📍 Buena Vista and Salida, Colorado
💾 Save this for your next family trip to Chaffee County and send it to the sweet tooth in your group.

05/30/2026

🐾 Cute dog pics incoming... for this weekend's Hometown Highlight: Canine Rebel Club 🐾

Traveling to Chaffee County with your four-legged adventure buddy?
Canine Rebel Club has you covered.

Based right here in Chaffee County, Canine Rebel Club offers dog boarding, doggie daycare, and pet care services designed for active pups and peace of mind for their humans. Whether you're spending the day hiking a 14er, floating the Arkansas River, exploring downtown, or soaking in the hot springs, you can rest easy knowing your dog is in good hands.

Their team focuses on creating a safe, enriching environment where dogs can play, explore, socialize, and burn off some energy while you're off enjoying your Colorado adventure. They also offer professional dog training using modern, science-based methods that help build confidence, communication, and real-world reliability.

Because let's be honest, sometimes the best vacation is one where both you and your dog get to have an unforgettable day. 🐶

05/24/2026

Hometown Highlight, Artist Series: Katie Maher Fine Art

Some artists paint landscapes. Katie Maher paints the feeling beneath them.

Based in downtown Salida, Katie's journey to the canvas is anything but ordinary. She started as a tattoo artist, opened Tight Rope Tattoo on Salida's main street, applied her craft to thousands of people, and eventually followed a bigger dream. In 2016 she opened the Katie Maher Fine Art Gallery, and Salida has never looked the same since.
Her paintings are bold, geometric, and hypnotic. Broken into fractal shapes that vibrate with color and movement, her work attempts to capture something most artists wouldn't dare try: the ever-shifting, interconnected energy that runs through everything. You don't just look at a Katie Maher painting. You feel it.

With thousands of original pieces sold and high gloss prints now available on recycled aluminum, her work is accessible to anyone who wants to bring a piece of Colorado's creative spirit home with them....

If you find yourself in Salida this season, the gallery in downtown is a must-stop. It is exactly the kind of place that reminds you why this town is special.
Katie Maher Fine Art | Downtown Salida: www.katiemaherfineart.com
Have you visited her gallery? Drop a comment and let her know your favorite piece...

05/23/2026

Hometown Highlight: The Salida SteamPlant 🏛️ 🎭

Before it was Salida's cultural heartbeat, it was one of the first Edison electric plants in the entire country... Built in 1887 by the Salida Edison Electric Light Company, the SteamPlant powered this community for over 70 years before going dark in the late 1950s. For nearly three decades after that, the building sat abandoned on the banks of the Arkansas River, home to little more than flocks of pigeons. In 1987, a visionary group of locals purchased the building for $35,000 and deeded it to the city. By 1989 it had been transformed into the Steam Plant Theater, and in 1995 the outdoor Sculpture Garden opened on the grounds. What was once an industrial power plant had become the cultural soul of Salida.

And now, it just got even better: Over the past year the SteamPlant has undergone a full round of thoughtful improvements from top to bottom. The Packet Gallery has been refreshed with new lighting, signage, and a sound system showcasing a rotating display of local art. The theater received upgraded lighting and sound, new wing curtains, a refinished stage floor, and 500 square feet of dedicated costume storage for community theater. The green room, ballroom, kitchen, and event spaces have all been refreshed with new finishes, furniture, and fixtures. And the Annex is now equipped with smart screens and Owl software, making the Monarch Room a modern and flexible meeting space.

The SteamPlant's main hall seats 350 and hosts concerts, theater productions, art shows, weddings, and community events year-round. The building's original brick, exposed steel, and vintage machinery create an atmosphere unlike any other venue in Colorado.

From a 19th century power plant to the pride of the Arkansas Riverwalk, the SteamPlant has always been a reflection of what this community is capable of when it comes together. Check the calendar before your next visit to Salida. You might just plan your whole trip around a show. 🎶

📍 200 W. Sackett Ave, Salida, Colorado
🔗 Events, tickets, and rentals at salidasteamplant.com
📘 Follow for upcoming events

05/22/2026

Memorial Day Weekend in Buena Vista is about to get wild. 🌊🏔️
Paddlefest 2026 is here and the Arkansas River is the place to be May 21 through 25. Come for the whitewater, stay for everything else. Also, don’t miss Bluegrass on the Arkansas 2026 over in📍Salida! 

This weekend brings some of the best freestyle paddlers in the world to Comp Hole, battling it out in the Freestyle Rodeo Competition for the CKS Freestyle Champion title and prize money. Saturday brings the Expression Session Stylie Surf Sesh where style and creativity take center stage on the wave. And if you are bringing the dog, do not miss the Dog Gone River Derby on Sunday. 🐾

All weekend long, is running a storewide sale and gear swap so you can stock up on river gear, trade in the old stuff, and get outfitted for your summer of adventure at a discount. Live music every night. Community energy all weekend.

Cap it all off Monday morning at the Riverside Happy Hour at The Beach at River Runners. Boat in, bike in, or hike in. Cold drinks, chill people, and the Arkansas River at your back… Not a bad way to end a long weekend.
📅 May 21 through May 25, 2026
📍 Buena Vista & Salida, Colorado
🔗 Full schedule at cksriversupply.com
💾 Save this and send it to whoever needs to be here this weekend. Photo/video by

05/21/2026

Chaffee County has always had an epic music scene… But this summer, the valley is on a completely different level. 🎶🏔️

Whether you are into intimate venues with incredible acoustics, or outdoor festivals under the Colorado stars, there is a reason to plan your trip around the music this year.

Music for Memorial Day weekend? Paddlefest is bringing the energy to the Arkansas River with live music every night. Grant Farm takes the stage Friday night, ATOMGA closes out Saturday, and Airing of Grievances, BV’s own 90s punk and alternative cover band, kicks off the whole weekend tonight. Plus free live music from Nate Spencer at the Main Street Tavern Friday before things get loud at the Lariat.

The Ivy Ballroom in Buena Vista brings world-class artists into an intimate mountain town setting that you simply cannot replicate at a stadium. The on Main Street is the kind of neighborhood venue that reminds you why live music was meant to be experienced up close. And every Monday night, Coyote Mezcal Bar hosts the Live Music Monday series with a weekly tradition that has become one of the best kept secrets in the valley.

Coming up this summer, Chaffee County becomes a genuine festival destination. King Gizzard’s Field of Vision II lands at Meadow Creek August 14 through 16. And Pretty Lights returns for the second annual Yahn Dawn festival September 18 through 20 at Meadow Creek in Buena Vista, expanding from two nights to three after a sold-out debut in 2025. Camping, glamping, and 360-degree views of the Collegiate Peaks included.

Small crowds. Big sound. Mountains everywhere you look. This is what live music is supposed to feel like. 🎵

📍 Buena Vista and Salida, Colorado
🔗 Full Paddlefest schedule at cksriversupply.com
🔗 Festival info at

05/21/2026

Big news for ride your bike to work day... 🚵🏔️

The Monarch Crest Trail, already considered one of the greatest mountain bike trails in the world, is about to get even better.

This summer, nearly 1.8 miles of brand new singletrack is expected to be built along one of the most traveled sections of the Monarch Crest, the high-alpine descent from the top of Monarch Pass down toward Marshall Pass. The new trail will take riders and hikers off a shared four-wheel-drive road that has long been a convergence point for mountain bikers, dirt bikers, thru-hikers, equestrians, ATVs, and Jeeps. That mix of users at high speed has led to serious accidents over the years, making this new dedicated singletrack both a safety improvement and a massive upgrade to the riding experience.

The new singletrack will skirt Mount Ouray and venture between forest and meadows on the way to Marshall Pass, while the road remains open for four-wheel-drive traffic. A new parking area near Hutchinson Cabin is also planned to add even more trail access capacity to the area. The goal is for the trail to open in 2027 following a seasonal wildlife closure. But construction this summer means the work is underway right in our backyard.

This is what trail stewardship looks like. Shoutout to the Colorado Trail Foundation, Salida Mountain Trails, and Central Colorado Mountain Riders for making this happen. 🙌 Jon Terbush, Executive Director of Salida Mountain Trails, said it best: "The Colorado Trail is one of the greatest trails in the world, and it's going to be even better now."

📍 Monarch Crest Trail, Chaffee County, Colorado
🔗 Read the full story here:

One of Colorado’s most iconic trails is growing.  A nearly 2-mile stretch of singletrack is expected to be built this summer along the Monarch Crest, along a vaunted, well-traveled corridor above 11,000 feet that is part of the Colorado Trail.  “The Colorado Trail is one the greatest trails in...

05/20/2026

Adventure seekers flock here. And once you see the numbers, you will understand why…. Chaffee County is not just another ‘pretty mountain town’. It is one of the most diverse adventure destinations in the entire country, and the stats back it up.

🏔️12 fourteeners accessible right from the valley, the highest concentration of 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado and the nation
🚵 Over 130 miles of combined singletrack across Chaffee County — with 70+ miles stewarded by Salida Mountain Trails including the legendary Monarch Crest, rated one of the best mountain bike trails in the United States, and 30+ miles of purpose-built trail in Buena Vista with more being added every season
🎣 100 miles of Gold Medal fly fishing on the Arkansas River, one of the most storied trout fisheries in the country with hundreds of fish per mile
🌊 15+ rafting outfitters running Class II through Class IV whitewater through Browns Canyon National Monument
🥾 Hundreds of miles of hiking trails through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, the Colorado Trail, and the San Isabel National Forest
🏄 River surfing, paddleboarding, ATVs, horseback riding and more, all within minutes of downtown

And when the adventure is done, Buena Vista and Salida are right there waiting with cold beer, hot springs, great food, and a pace of life that somehow makes you feel like you earned all of it. One destination. Zero excuses. Come find out what adventure really feels like. 

📍 Chaffee County, Colorado
💾 Save this for your next Colorado adventure trip

05/17/2026

Hometown Highlight: Elevation Beer Company 🍺🏔️

This weekend's Hometown Highlight is taking us over to beautiful Poncha Springs, to sip some well-earned craft beers at Elevation Beer Co.

Tucked in at the Crossroads of the Rockies in Poncha Springs, Elevation Beer Company has been one of the most beloved gathering spots in Chaffee County for over a decade. Open every day from 11am to 9pm, their taproom pours an impressive rotating selection of craft beers brewed right here in the Arkansas Valley. First Cast IPAs, dark ales, seasonal releases, and everything in between. If you cannot decide, grab a flight of five and work your way through the board. The pet-friendly patio and covered tent make it one of the most welcoming spots in the valley to pull up a chair and stay awhile.

After a day on the Arkansas River or a long ride on the mountain bike trails, there is nothing quite like a cold First Cast IPA in the shadow of the mountains. Elevation has always been that place where the day winds down and the stories start. Whether you are a local regular or a visitor just passing through, it has a way of making everyone feel like they belong there.
..now there is even more reason to stop in: The Patty Wagon food truck, operated by the crew from Riverside Salida, is set up on-site daily from 11am to 7pm serving up burgers and bites that were made to be paired with a cold pint. Your beer finally has a partner in crime. 🍔🍺

This is exactly the kind of local institution that makes Poncha Springs and Chaffee County worth the drive.

📍 115 Pahlone Pkwy, Poncha Springs, Colorado
🔗 Follow for tap list updates and events
⏰ Open Every Day 11am to 9pm
💾 Save this for your next Chaffee County visit and send it to whoever you want to grab a beer with this summer.

05/16/2026

Hometown Spotlight: Salida Mountain Trails

Salida was just named one of 28 communities in the entire country to receive the inaugural 2026 IMBA Trail Town designation from the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Out of every city and town across the United States, Salida earned its spot alongside nationally recognized destinations like Leadville, Flagstaff, and Santa Fe. That is not a small thing...

The designation recognizes communities built around strong trail infrastructure, active local trail organizations, and a deep culture of stewardship and community engagement. Anyone who has spent time on these trails knows Salida Mountain Trails and this community have been putting in that work for years.

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a weekend regular, Salida's trails are calling. Come see why this town earned its place on the map. 🎉 📍 Salida, Colorado
🔗 Learn more at salidamountaintrails.org outhttps://arkvalleyvoice.com/international-mountain-bicycling-association-names-salida-as-2026-trail-town/https://arkvalleyvoice.com/international-mountain-bicycling-association-names-salida-as-2026-trail-town/