Meeker features a wide range of events year-round that showcase our town’s vibrant, small-town charm. Winter, in particular, is a great time of year to visit, as you’ll find no shortage of local events that will appeal to the entire family. This is one of the reasons why many of our out-of-town patients choose to schedule orthopedic surgery at CAO during the winter months. You can relax and recover in a snowy winter wonderland while your family enjoys a fun vacation highlighted by one of Meeker’s signature winter events.
The following guide will help you find the right Meeker events to plan your stay around so that your family can enjoy the winter festivities while you receive the exceptional patient care you deserve.
The first weekend of December is packed with local activities, starting with the Meeker Holiday Craft & Trade Bazaar. The event is held at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds Exhibit Halls. Browse, shop, eat, and soak in the splendor of Meeker’s local artisans. Get a jump on your holiday shopping and find truly one-of-a-kind gifts for your family. With many local food vendors in attendance, you’ll also get to sample some of Meeker’s finest cuisine.
The Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trials sponsor the Holiday Craft & Trade Bazaar, so you’ll also be supporting one of the town’s signature summer events.
Event Dates/Times
The weekend continues with Meeker’s Breakfast with Santa. Come to the Fairfield Center for a family-friendly event. Breakfast is provided by Eastern Rio Blanco Metropolitan (ERBM) Recreation & Park District and served by the Meeker Lions Club. Make sure your kids come with their holiday gift wish list to share with Santa. This event is also collecting donations for the local food pantry, so you’re encouraged to bring some non-perishable items for those less fortunate to enjoy during the holidays.
Event Date/Time
The first week of December festivities conclude with Meeker’s annual Parade of Lights and tree lighting ceremony. This is one of the premier Meeker events of the year and a true winter highlight for our town. If you’ve never experienced it, you’re truly missing out.
The evening starts with the tree-lighting ceremony in front of the Courthouse. Pioneers Health Foundation will hold a fundraiser at this event to support our programs, including Meals on Wheels, Cancer Screenings, and scholarships.
The parade will then be held on Main Street from 4th Street to 7th Street. Enjoy a fun-filled evening of sleigh rides, Christmas caroling and other family-friendly activities. This year’s theme is “Mistletoe Magic.” You’ll also have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes and awards, including:
Parade entry is open to everyone. The deadline for entry is December 5th. Click here to fill out the entry form online.
Event Date/Time
If you’ve never experienced skijoring, you should plan your visit to Meeker around this event. You’d get skijoring if you put a cowboy rodeo in a blender with the Winter X Games. A horse and rider team pulls skiers throughout a racecourse that requires the skier to complete a series of technical jumps and grab rings along the side of the track. It’s a high-speed race packed with action, excitement, and a fair share of danger.
The Meeker Skijor is one of the largest skijoring competitions in Colorado, and it includes some of the most skilled horseback riders and skiers from the entire state. The skier/rider teams compete for prize money, and spectators can gamble with the Calcutta, where you can bid on the teams you think will perform the best during the race.
The race is held at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds on the weekend of January 3rd-5th, but the festivities begin a few days earlier with the Snowball New Year’s Eve Dance with live music by Joey Rowland.
Event Dates/Times
Meeker’s signature winter events primarily occur during the holiday season, making December and early January a great time to visit us. But there are plenty of other activities to enjoy throughout the winter. Meeker’s location near the mountains in Northwest Colorado provides a wide range of winter activities for your family to enjoy while you’re here for your orthopedic procedure.
The following activities will keep your family busy no matter when you visit us during the winter months:
Colorado Advanced Orthopedics is committed to providing an amazing patient experience. While this largely involves delivering exceptional-quality medical care from the best team of board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons on the Western Slope, we also understand that our out-of-town patients want to enjoy a great vacation while they’re in town. Our proximity to a wide array of mountain activities is the other reason why CAO has become a popular medical tourism destination, and our team is here to be your guide and help you plan your stay.
We can recommend the best hotels to meet your family’s needs, and we’ll help you navigate the many excellent restaurants in town. If you want to explore the wilderness this winter, we can recommend the best activities and locations to enjoy them. If you come during some of Meeker’s signature events, we’ll also help your family soak in the local, small-town flavor that can only be experienced from these one-of-a-kind moments.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker and throughout the White River Valley.
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