Cedaredge Applefest will raise vendor rates by 10%
CEDAREDGE, Colo. (KREX) — For every October since 1977, Applefest floods the streets of Cedaredge with over 20,000 people and hundreds of vendors.
However, a document making its way through Town Hall proposed a 30% increase to all vendors and even warned of the possibility of shutting down the long-time tradition if more funds weren't brought in.
Some local store owners thought this increase was too much, like Starr's Guitars Owner David Starr.
Cedaredge Town Clerk Brooke Gardner tells WesternSlopeNow since last report, a final decision has been made by the majority of the Board of Trustees – raise vendor rates by 10%.
Starr responds, 'I think that's a great place to start, if that's what it takes to keep things going at the level of quality that we have, I think that's fine.'
Gardner tells WesternSlopeNow the extra revenue will go directly back into the event to strengthen Wi-Fi connections downtown and fix electricity issues in the nearby park.
Applications for vendor spots are now open on the Town of Cedaredge's Applefest website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sen. Michael Bennet holds virtual roundtable for 'Republican Dangers to SNAP'
WESTERN SLOPE, Colo. (KREX) – Lately, there has been speculation from the federal level that there will be funds cut from SNAP benefits. On Thursday, Senator Michael Bennet held a virtual roundtable to discuss the quote 'Republican Dangers to SNAP.' Bennet states, 'I hope for the smaller cut; it would be better, you know, if we had to take one and not the other.' Communities around Colorado are on their toes regarding the outcome of possible SNAP benefit cuts. The virtual roundtable included community members around the Centennial State alongside Senator Bennet. 'As I said earlier, [SNAP] is going to be on the receiving end of this unfunded mandate,' Bennet said. Bennet says the president passed the bill, which will need 51 Senate votes to pass in the Senate before being finalized. 'I don't know what the choices that he's going to be able to assemble to get that majority vote are, but I will keep everybody on this call informed as I begin to hear what's going on,' Bennet said. WesternSlopeNow reached out to the Mesa County Department of Human Services, and the Economic Assistance Director, Melissa Schierland, sent a statement saying, 'This is pending federal legislation, and no changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been finalized. We are closely monitoring the situation. If the program changes, we will communicate directly with our clients to ensure they receive clear guidance and support. Our priority remains helping families meet their basic needs and access the resources they rely on.' State Senator Janice Rich of District 7 states, 'I think that it has been a successful program, and I guess I would hate to see it be cut, you know, a lot, because over the years, it has lifted over 70,000 people out of the poverty line.' State Senator Rich says it's been reported that 9.9% of people use the SNAP program in the state. Meanwhile, WesternSlopeNow reached out to the Colorado Department of Human Services about how these cuts could affect the rest of the state. A representative sent us a statement saying in part, 'As of March 2025, approximately 334,000 Colorado households and 617,000 people receive monthly benefits. In 2024, almost one million individual Coloradans received SNAP, half of whom were children, 10% of whom were older Americans, and 15% of whom were Americans with disabilities. Minimizing food insecurity has positive impacts, including increased physical and mental health.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Colorado Department of Human Services launches new pilot project
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – Recently, the Colorado Department of Human Services has launched a program in SNAP for Coloradoans to receive a bonus when buying healthy foods. Abby McClelland, the director of the Food and Energy Assistance Division at the Colorado Department of Human Services, states, 'This is a pilot program that we're really excited to be a part of in Colorado. We're one of three states administering this program. So we're really excited that it's available to Colorado SNAP participants.' There is a benefit to eating greens, and there is going to be more green coming to the SNAP program here in the Centennial State. The Colorado Department of Human Services has announced a new pilot project in which Coloradans on the SNAP program can go to participating retailers and buy fruits and vegetables. With and automatically, they will receive a full rebate, up to $60 a month on their SNAP cards, that they can use for any SNAP-eligible food. And the best part is it doesn't require an application or any vouchers. It's all done electronically. McClelland states, 'So I would urge folks to check the retailer list, because we're adding retailers all the time. So far, our focus has been on smaller retailers like farmers market vendors or smaller brick-and-mortar stores in more rural areas in order to keep the benefits feeding the local economy as well, but we're looking to expand to even more retailers over the next year or so. Officials from the CDHS say there are more than 30 locations here in Colorado. WesternSlopeNow was able to see there are three locations on the Western Slope. One in Grand Junction that is only open on Saturdays and two in Hotchkiss. There is another program that is also helping Coloradans with SNAP benefits. 'There's another similar program called Double Up Box, which […] is available at farmers markets, which runs concurrently. So there are multiple ways that people can get these reimbursements for buying produce. That's a program where you do get a paper voucher,' McClelland said. McClelland says Louisiana and Washington State are also among the three states that launched this program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Mesa County approves faster review of affordable housing projects
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) — On Tuesday, the Board of Mesa County Commissioners unanimously approved a new resolution for Proposition 123 to help speed up the review process for future affordable housing developments. The resolution will allow for faster construction of housing and will keep Mesa County eligible for state funding used for local housing projects. With the decision, Mesa County has formalized a policy to review all affordable housing applications within 90 days. The changed timeline aims to enable quicker decision-making and support developers who bring affordable homes to the area. 'Communities that implement fast-track policies reduce housing costs and boost supply by eliminating delays that drive up project expenses,' said Mesa County Community Development Director Greg Moberg. In 2022, Proposition 123 was passed by Colorado voters to create a statewide Affordable Housing Fund. Local governments can access the funding only if they commit to certain requirements, such as promising to increase affordable housing options and to expedite project reviews. Proposition 123 allows counties to give money to the community for affordable housing projects in two ways. First, the money from the state is funneled through the county to developers to help reduce the costs of affordable housing projects. The other way allows grants to be used for communities to initiate affordable housing projects, such as land acquisition or expedited processing. Currently, Mesa County is testing out a pilot program through the state to use AI in the review of applications and other processes to make the process quicker and more efficient. During the Board of Mesa County Administrative Public Hearing, Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel commented about her appreciation for the resolution. 'Greg [Moberg], I appreciate the fact that we didn't need to alter our process because we were already hitting the mark when it comes to streamlining all of the asks the state was asking us to do to make this an expedient process,' said Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel. 'I just want to applaud you guys, applaud our staff and applaud our team, that we were already hitting the mark. This is just a process to formalize it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
