Annual Harvest Festival at the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey

Wine, artisans, food, and entertainment come together the last weekend of September at the annual Harvest Festival on the grounds at the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey.

This is a wonderful way to spend a beautiful fall day. Discover the Abbey Winery’s award-winning wines including the limited release of Harvest Fest’s Riesling. Enjoy food selections from local produce and cheeses to wood-fired pizzas, fajitas, roasted chilies, and freshly baked breads.

This event is on Saturday from 10-6 pm and Sunday from 10-5 pm. The event is free but wine tasting is $12 which includes a commemorative logo wine glass and 5 tasting tickets totaling 5 ounces of wine. Additionally, tasting tickets can be purchased ($8 for 5 tickets) and bottle service is available. No reservations are necessary.

This event is not pet-friendly and only service animals are allowed entry.

Harvest Fest 2024 – Schedule

Saturday, September 28th

10 am – Blessing of the Harvest-Fr. Jesse Perez

10 am to 1:30 pm – Wayne Hammerstadt Jazz Fusion

2 pm to 6 pm – Deja Bluz-Classic Rock

Sunday, September 29th 

10 am to 1 pm –  Gentle Rain – Smooth Jazz

1:30 pm to 5 pm – Deep Blue Sea – Pop, Rock, R&B

The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, in Cañon City, Colorado, is busy making preparations for their 22nd annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 28th from 10:00-6:00, and on Sunday, September 29th from 10:00-5:00 on the winery grounds at 3011 East US Highway 50. The fest is free and open to the public and features wine, live music, food, chili roasting, freshly harvested produce, and arts and crafts vendors. Parents, please be advised that we no longer provide a Fun Zone for our younger guests. 

The Harvest Fest will begin at 10:00 am with the traditional Blessing of the Harvest by Fr. Jesse Perez, of St. Michaels’ Catholic Church. Fr. Jesse has been the priest there for eight years, and before that nurtured the congregation in Leadville. He was born and raised in Salida and has close ties to Florence as well. 

Kicking off the day’s music will be Hammerstadt Fusion of the Soul. A local favorite from Colorado Springs, they will be performing from 10:00 am – 1:30 pm. Hammerstadt is a four-piece electric ensemble, with a repertoire of blues, rock, jazz, and fusion music.  

Taking the stage at 2:00pm, Cañon City’s own Deja Bluz will bust it out with their classic rock and roll sounds. Glenn and his friend Rick Kamerzell started the band 25 years ago. Glenn and Rick are both original members of the Belvedere Blues Band. Wiley J on drums, percussion and vocals rounds out the trio. They have been the house band at the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park for many years.

Sunday, September 24th at 10:00am, the festival will begin with the fresh, modern sound of Gentle Rain, a quintet of Colorado Springs’ finest jazz musicians featuring Marcelle Hureau’s sultry vocals. Taking the classic jazz standards, the group blends traditional and contemporary styles to present an unforgettable musical experience. They will take the stage from 10:00am until 1:00pm.

Closing the show on Sunday afternoon is Deep Blue Sea, a six-piece Colorado band formed in 2021 by Revele and Rafiel Slade. Their arrangements include Rock, Pop, Blues, and Rhythm & Blues. The duo is accompanied by some of the region’s top instrumentalists, who provide a backup of beautiful music arrangements in support of these soulful virtuoso vocalists. They will perform from 1:30-5:00 pm.