Cedaredge keeps Surface Creek's apple story alive

In the middle of downtown Cedaredge, on about five acres beneath the Grand Mesa, sits a small village that did not exist a lifetime ago. Pioneer Town Museum, run by the Surface Creek Valley Historical Society, gathers 24 buildings — a schoolhouse, a cabin, a saloon, a jail, and more — to show how the Surface Creek Valley lived from the late 1800s into the mid-1900s. Three tall wooden silos from 1916 and 1917, unusual for their many-sided shape, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum opens Wednesday through Sunday and sometimes closes for private events, so it is worth checking hours before you drive up. If you want the valley at full volume, come the first full weekend of October for Applefest, which the Town of Cedaredge calls Delta County’s longest-running community celebration. It honors the orchards that still grow apples here, and it draws big crowds — figures of 30,000 visitors and 200-plus vendors get mentioned — so plan parking and lodging early.

The starting year is given as 1977 on the festival’s own page and 1978 by the town, so treat the exact founding date as unsettled. For current hours, dates, and details, check the Town of Cedaredge’s visit page and the Applefest site.