The annual Culture Fest celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Central Library, 443 N. 6th St. The celebration focuses on cultures in western Colorado with performances, tables, and art representing a variety of cultures. Included as a part of Culture Fest is the Art Reception from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at the Central Library with live music. The Culture Fest Art Show will be on display in the Central Library's main hallway Oct. 28-Dec. 15.

Friends of the Mesa County Libraries will host their big October Book Sale Oct. 20-22 at the First Congregational Church, 1425 N. 5th St. (across from Grand Junction High School).

This sale will feature books, DVDs, CDs, and a special collection of rare and collectible items that you won't want to miss.

All sales are cash only. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the Clifton Branch Library Project.

Join Mesa County Libraries for Books on Tap! Rotating through some of the great breweries in the Grand Valley, we'll gather on the second Thursday of the month at a local brewery to discuss what books we're reading.

At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, we will meet at Ramblebine Brewing Company, 457 Colorado Ave., Grand Junction.

You're welcome to enjoy a cold brew during conversation, but it's not required.

Matt Darling, a railroad historian at the Museum of Western Colorado, will discuss the Uintah Railway, the steepest, most crooked narrow gauge railroad in North America. The Uintah climbed Baxter Pass to reach the remote Uintah Basin to haul a rare material called gilsonite out of the mountains.

Learn about the unique history of the line with its even more unique equipment at noon Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Central Library Community Rooms, 443 N. 6th St.

Registration for this event is required. Head over to our Event Calendar to register.

Medicare open enrollment is approaching! Learn more about Medicare and important changes for the upcoming year from Mesa County's RSVP SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) volunteers specially trained to educate the public about Medicare. There will be multiple dates and locations:

Q Is for Questioning is a series of interactive workshops for parents, guardians, caregivers, or family members of LGBTQ+ youth. These workshops are designed to give parents and caregivers the tools they need to create affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, and foster healthy conversations and family relationships.

The workshops are organized by Envision: You, an organization that seeks to close gaps in behavioral health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals through co-created community programming, advocacy engagement, public awareness campaigns, and evidence-based training.

The workshops will be held 10 a.m. - noon on Oct. 15, Oct. 29, and Nov. 12. Registration is required and participants are encouraged to attend all three workshops.

The City of Grand Junction will host an outreach table on the city's Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan at the Central Library, 443 N. 6th St. Representatives from the city will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 20, to offer information, gather input, and answer questions about the plan.

Interested in learning some tricks to memorize and deliver poetry or from the stage? Join Mesa County Libraries Artist in Residence Caleb Ferganchick at the Fruita Branch, 324 N. Coulson St., at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, as he leads participants in exercises to quickly memorize material for recitation. Participants should bring a poem they have written or they enjoy and want to memorize that takes them one minute to recite while reading from text.

The Culture Fest Art Reception will be held 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at the Central Library, 443 N. 6th St. This year’s juror, Savannah Ashmore, will announce the first, second, and third place honoraria recipients of the Culture Fest Art Show beginning at 7 p.m.

The event is open to everyone and will include live music from Charles Walker of Wave 11.

The Culture Fest Art Show celebrates artists of Mesa County!

Mesa County Libraries are seeking art for the 2022 Culture Fest Art Show to be displayed at the Central Library this fall. Artists 18 years of age and older residing in Mesa County are encouraged to submit artwork to this open-themed show.

Since 2016, Mesa County Libraries have hosted 19 artists in the Artist in Residence program. We're looking for more in 2023!

Applications are being accepted for the 2023 program through Oct. 10, 2022. Three residency blocks are scheduled next year (Jan. 9-April 17, May 1-Aug. 7, and Aug. 14-Nov. 20). Artists selected for the program will receive a $1,000 stipend courtesy of the Mesa County Libraries Foundation.

Applicants must be 18 or older, residents of Mesa County, and library cardholders. Artists selected for this program are at all stages in their careers and work in one or more of the following media: drawing, painting, fiber arts, sculpture, photography, video, music, fiction and nonfiction writing, and poetry. Artists working in other mediums are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on limitations of the studio.

For more information about the program and for the online application form, check out our website.

Wondrous new things were coming into the lives of Native Americans with the arrival of European trade goods and horses. A golden era had come to the land and life was good … or so it seemed. Regrettably, it all came with the high price of freedom. Local archaeologist Curtis Martin will present his talk about the Utes, many of whom remained on their traditional homelands in western Colorado long after their "final removal" to reservations in Utah in 1881.

This presentation happens at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Collbran Congregational Church, 2003 High St. in Collbran.

Bryan Reed of Western Colorado Community College tells how local residents can successfully start composting at home!

Join us for Reed's informative talk at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the Mesa County Libraries Discovery Garden, 517 Chipeta Ave. (one block north of the Central Library).

Reed helped plan the compost bins in the Discovery Garden and looks forward to sharing his knowledge with the community. Seating is limited in the Discovery Garden; please park at the Central Library and bring your own camp chair if you prefer to sit during the discussion.

Join us every fourth Tuesday of the month at the Clifton Branch, 590 32 Road, from 5 to 6 p.m. to discuss movies that coincide with the chosen movie theme of the month!

This month on Tuesday, Oct. 25, come prepared to discuss your favorite horror movies!

The Citizenship Clinic is presented by Mesa County Libraries in partnership with the Hispanic Affairs Project.

The Citizenship Clinic is an opportunity for upcoming citizens to:

- Learn about the process of becoming a U.S. citizen

- Receive legal advice about specific case questions

- Learn about enrolling in citizenship classes at the library!

Anyone going through the citizenship process or interested in becoming a U.S. citizen is welcome.

Contact Mesa County Libraries at 970-243-4442 or visit mesacountylibraries.org