Southwest Fresh Fest

Join us for the 5th annual Southwest Fresh Fest at Billy Goat Hop Farm!

The fifth annual Southwest Fresh Fest returns to Billy Goat Hop Farm on Saturday, October 3. This family and dog-friendly celebration of local agriculture will serve up fresh hop and seasonal beers from across Colorado, as well as live music and dancing, food trucks, yard games, and a farm tour.

The beers to be poured at this festival will all be crafted with Billy Goat hops, straight off the bine and right into the brew. The fan favorite fresh hop beer will be voted upon by festival participants, and the winning brewery taking home the iconic Fresh Hop Trophy for the year.

This year’s Southwest Fresh Fest live music lineup features Jesse Meade, a soulful singer-songwriter and finger style acoustic guitarist, and Mojo Birds, a funky flock of music-makers creating a joyful, groove-driven party with a mix of roots-heavy soul, gospel-inflected harmonies, and a touch of Afro-Peruvian mojo. There will be local food from Figure 8 Farming, Uncompahgre Farms, Kendra’s Kitchen, Dippity Donuts, and Crepeful Heads.

Tickets to Southwest Fresh Fest are $35 and include custom festival glassware. Get yours at southwestfreshfest.com.

The breweries pouring in 2026 include Breckenridge Brewery, Cabin Creek Brewing, Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery, Elevation Beer Company, Glenwood Canyon Brewpub, Goldspot Brewing, Horsefly Brewing Company, Mountain Tap Brewery, Reckless Brewing Company,  Shelter Distilling, Stodgy Brewing Company, Storm Peak Brewing, and Stronghouse Brew Pub. Ginger beer from Too Steppin’ Hard Ginger Beer will also be included in the ticket price, and local wine and cider are available for additional purchase.

Country Lodge, Riverbend RV Park & Cabins, and the Waypoint RV Park have discounts available for festival-goers. There is free on-site parking, and guests are encouraged to designate a driver.

Check out southwestfreshfest.com for more festival details, and suggestions for what else to do in Montrose.

Southwest Fresh Fest would not be possible without the support of community sponsors, Maxfield – Peterson, P.C., RadCraft, Forage and Fetch, Rye Resurgence Project, Montrose Community Foundation, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Valley Food Partnership, Alpine Events, Visit Montrose, CropwoRx, Down Valley Flowers, and Friends of the Black Canyon.