After the Roaring Fork Valley has anxiously waited an entire year for this, that familiar cacophony of its opening drum circle returns 4 p.m. on Friday to Carbondale’s Sopris Park to usher in the 53rd annual Mountain Fair.

The entire festival runs Friday-Sunday in Carbondale.

The cherished, colorful fair complete with tee-dye-wearing police officers, a wide array of arts, and of course, drum circles will host events from wood-splitting contests to live concerts, from Colorado bands to Polynesian dancing. There will be over 130 vendors and food options, including second-hand clothing pop-ups, candle and leatherworking stands and local favorites for food and drinks.

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“It’s the conglomeration of the entire town of Carbondale, celebrating its uniqueness,” Carbondale local and Colorado Rocky Mountain School graduate Isla Brumby Nelson said. “It is quintessentially about our town.”

Aside from the events in Sopris Park, there will be several bike and running races sponsored by local businesses, including the Mountain Fair 4-Miler at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Porcupine Group Bike Race is a must-see with mandatory racer costumes and checkpoint hosted by the Nelson family at which racers must eat donuts and bacon or be penalized by five minutes and pelted by thrown donuts. 

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And then, of course, out come the bands.

“I always enjoy hearing bands that I’ve never heard before,” Carbondale Mayor Ben Bohmfalk said. “Usually, I’ve never heard any of the bands that are going to play at Mountain Fair. I love the fact that we’re not trying to draw the biggest names out here; we’re trying to support local acts that are on their way up as a band.”

Mountain Fair, which began in 1972, celebrates Carbondale’s history as a town that supports its local community. The city doesn’t focus on Mountain Fair to bring in tourism, although the boosted business in town is a plus. 

“It goes back to when Carbondale was really starting to become the community that it is today, with a lot of arts and music and creative people coming together to celebrate the town and the mountains and summer,” Bohmfalk said.

With the constant festivities, it can be hard to know what events are worth attending. The wood-splitting events tend to be the most popular and well-liked events by locals and regular attendees.

“One thing you have to go to: the women’s wood splitting. Watching people get out there and give it their all is always a highlight, and everybody cheers them on,” he said.

For more information on the fair and event registration, visit carbondalearts.com/mountain-fair.

Full schedule

Friday

• 3:30-7:30 p.m.: CCS Kids Carnival (Oasis)
• 4 p.m.: Opening blessing with Gabriela Mejia + Friends (Gazebo)
• 4 p.m.: Rhythm of the Heart Community Drum Circle (Gazebo)
• 4-9:15 p.m.: Cantina Opens (Gazebo) 
• 4:50 p.m.: Mountain Fair Welcome (Gazebo)
• 5 p.m.: Ron Houston (Oasis)
• 5-7 p.m.: Youth Maker Market (Oasis)
• 5:15 p.m.: Sweet Jessup and  the Dirty Buckets (Gazebo)
• 6:15 p.m.: Rock and Roll Academy (Oasis)
• 6:45 p.m.: Sopris Soarers (Open Space)
• 7:45 p.m.: Dragondeer (Gazebo)

Saturday

• 8:30 a.m.: Mtn Fair 4-Miler (Competition)
• 10 a.m.: Vendors Open (Gazebo) 
• 10 a.m.: Crystal River Youth Ballet (Oasis)
• 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m.: CCS Kids Carnival (Oasis)
• 10 a.m.: Musical Storytime (Oasis)
• 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Puppet Making with TRTC (Oasis)
• 10:30 a.m.: Fly-Casting (Competition)
• 10:45-11:30 a.m.: JAS Street Horns (Oasis) 
• 11 a.m.-9:15 p.m.: Cantina Opens
• 11: a.m.: Sopris Soarers (Open Space)
• 11 a.m.: Pie-Baking (Gazebo)
• 11:30 a.m.: Tommy the Animal (Oasis)
• 11:45 a.m.: Brillantina Teatro Marionetas (bilingual) (Oasis)
• Noon: Singles Horseshoe (Competition)
• Noon-4 p.m.: Waldorf  Flower Crowns (Oasis)
• 1 p.m. Adult Limbo (Competition)
• 1 p.m.: Polynesian Dance (Oasis)
• 2 p.m.: Anna Moss and the Nightshades (Gazebo) 
• 2 p.m.: Monster In Me at TRTC (Oasis)
• 2-6 p.m.: Youth Maker Market (Oasis)
• 2:15 p.m.: Tug-O-Love Carbondale Police v. Carbondale Fire (Competition)
• 2:30 p.m.: Hip Hop For Families (Oasis)
• 4 p.m.: Women’s Wood Splitting (Competition)
• 5 p.m.: Salsa Lesson with Mezcla Socials Dance (Oasis)
• 5 p.m.: Triptides (Gazebo) 
• 6:30 p.m.: 3rd Annual Potter’s Throwdown (Competition)
• 6:30 p.m.: Typical Ghost (Oasis)
• 6:45 p.m.: Sopris Soarers (Open Space
• 8 p.m.: Tauk (Gazebo)

Sunday

• 7:45 a.m.: Porcupine Group Bike Race (Competition)
• 8:30: a.m.: Yoga with Brittany Geis and Kula (Open Space)
• 10 a.m.: Vendors Open 
• 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: CCS Kids Carnival (Oasis)
• 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.: Puppet Making with TRTC (Oasis)
• 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.: Cantina
• 11 a.m.: Liam Laird and the Way Out West-Tet (Gazebo)
• 11 a.m.: Cake-Baking (Competition)
• 1:30 p.m.: Birdsong Project (Oasis)
• Noon: Double Horseshoes (Competition)
• Noon: Drag Queen Storytime (bilingual) (Open Space) 
• 12:30 p.m.: Mtn Fair Singer Songwriter Competition Round 2 (Oasis)
• 12:45 p.m.: iZCALLi (Open Space) 
• 2 p.m.: Monster In Me at TRTC (Oasis)
• 3 p.m.: Violet Pines (Oasis)
• 3 p.m.: Shadowgrass (Gazebo)
• 4:15 p.m.: Men’s Wood Splitting (Competition)
• 6 p.m.: Kiltro (Gazebo)