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  PALISADE PREPS FOR PEACHY TIME IN AUGUST By Bob Kretschman
After helping organize the annual Palisade Peach Festival Recipe Contest for the past two decades, Dixie Burmeister has seen her share of creative peach cuisine. But every year, new surprises emerge. "We get the most awesome entries," Burmeister says. "We have fabulous pies, cakes, cheesecakes – recipes that people put tremendous work into." The recipe contest is just a small part of the Palisade Peach Festival, an annual celebration that takes place at the peak of the harvest. Palisade, at the base of Grand Mesa about 10 miles east of Grand Junction, is surrounded by lush orchards that produce some of the nation's best fresh peaches – plump, juicy, tree-ripened beauties that fruit lovers throughout Colorado and several surrounding states eagerly seek every summer. The 2007 Peach Festival is scheduled for Aug. 16 - 19, continuing a tradition of peach-related harvest festivals that dates back at least a century. The first peach trees were planted in the Palisade area in the 1880s, and the region's mild micro-climate provided ideal conditions for a thriving industry to grow. A perfect combination of heat-absorbing sandstone cliffs surrounding the valley and the "million-dollar breeze" that wafts into the Palisade area from De Beque Canyon prevents early-spring frosts from destroying most of the sensitive peach blossoms, improving chances for a good harvest year after year. This year's celebration begins the evening of Thurs., Aug. 16 with a barbecue, ice cream social and a street dance in charming downtown Palisade. Aug. 17, the Peach Festival officially opens at 1 p.m. in Riverbend Park, which hugs the Colorado River on the south side of Palisade. The festival features vendor booths and other attractions, and the day concludes at 9 p.m. with a fireworks
Sat., Aug. 18 opens early with the annual Lions Club Pancake Breakfast from 7 - 10 a.m. in Palisade Town Park, a few blocks from downtown. The town park is also the scene for Saturday morning's recipe contest. After judging is complete, the Palisade 4-H Club will sell tickets allowing the public to sample the recipe contest entries. Burmeister said that winning recipes will be posted about a week after the festival at www.palisadepeachfest.com. You don't need to be an adult to participate in the fun of making tasty peach treats. On Saturday morning at Palisade Town Park, the "Kids Jammin' for Peaches" event lets children ages 4 - 10 make a small jar of peach freezer jam for $1. It has proven to be a popular attraction. "The kids had so much fun last year that the adults wanted to do it," Burmeister said. The annual Peach Festival Parade, led by the official Town Grouch (who is named each year just in time for the festival) begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in downtown Palisade. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the festival grounds at Riverbend Park are scheduled to be open, hosting several activities. One of the more popular events promises to be "Peach Cuisine with Colorado Chefs," in which expert chefs from throughout the Grand Valley demonstrate food-preparation techniques and share their favorite peach-related recipes. The festival concludes Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the Palisade Farmers' Market in downtown Palisade, where consumers can sample and buy a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables grown at local farms. During the four-day festival, several local orchards and wineries, as well as the Tucan Coffee Roastery, will be open for free tours. A historical walking tour of downtown Palisade will also be available, as well as bicycle tours of the area and float tours on the Colorado River. For more information about the Palisade Peach Festival, visit www.palisadepeachfest.com. |
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