SOUTH FORK— South Fork has been a busy place this summer, with hundreds of travelers coming to the area filling local businesses with customers. Locals have voiced their opinion that this past summer has been one of the best since the devastating blow after the West Fork Fire Complex nearly shut the town down four years ago and signs of the recovery are all over the place within the town. Tourists have ventured back to their summer homes and additional events like the Shady Burro Enduro have made a comeback also bringing new and diverse individuals that have not been in the area for quite some time.
Now, as fall quickly approaches, town staff and local residents are pulling together to make sure the slower months stay at bay long enough for the busy winter season to take hold. The annual Color Festival will be taking place in mid-September and with it there will be a new event taking place that is sure to bring the fall color lovers down from the hills to enjoy some fun activities in town. The 25th Anniversary Committee in partnership with South Fork Visitor Center Director Mark Teders came up with the event and everyone is eager to see how it will turn out.
The town is planning on hosting a South Fork Fall Festival during the week of Color Fest, which begins Sept. 17 to celebrate the beautiful fall colors and the close of another summer season, as well as the 25th anniversary of the town being incorporated. Plans for the event are still underway, but will include lunch and fun, family activities that everyone is sure to enjoy. The town will also be releasing their new 25th anniversary historical book written by a local author.
During the fall the river is an excellent place to be, with local fish in their prime just before winter renders the waters of the Rio Grande still with ice. The low waters allow a great opportunity for anglers to venture out into the rapids for fly-fishing, which is a popular local sport in the fall months. Teders at the visitor center is a well of information on local fishing holes and can provide guests with a hint or two on the best places to go.
It is also around this time that the local farmer markets are coming to a close, but offer a wide variety of ripe local produce that cannot be found anywhere else or at any other time of year. The local market will continue on Fridays at the visitor center until the last week of September and is a great place to stock up for the coming holiday season with homemade gifts that are unique and hard to find.
Teders will also be bringing back his schedule of movies for family movie night at the community center and gearing up for the hunting crowd and the annual Chili Festival.
A full schedule of events can be found on the town’s website at www.southfork.org.