Fruita Bookends May With Festivals

May is a busy month in the little town of Fruita.

Fruita's festival month starts with what's called "Colorado’s Premier Mountain Bike Festival," the Fruita Fat Tire Festival. Now in its 24th year, this festival is a mountain bike riders Mecca. There are the amazing rides and trails, plus so much more! There's the bike test rides, the latest mountain biking gear on display, and guided rides up the Prime Cut and Kessel Run trails.

Not a mountain biker? No problem. There's plenty of cold beer in the beer garden, live music every evening, and other cool happenings around town. The festival is May 3rd through the 5th in downtown Fruita. Get your tickets and more information by clicking HERE! Act now! Ticket prices are set to increase on April 30th.

Winning the title of "Most Weird Colorado festival" is Frutia's annual "Mike The Headless Chicken Festival!" It kinda freaked me out the first time I heard about it too. So the story goes...way back in 1945, local resident Clara Olsen sent her hubby to grab a chicken from the coop for dinner. Being the good husband Lloyd did as instructed however when the ax came down the chicken didn't die. The headless rooster bolted back to the yard and resumed his life as a chicken how be it without a head. Word has it that "Mike" lived for 18 months after the incident! That's right, the chicken wandered around without a head for over a year and half! Lloyd used an eyedropper to feed the headless rooster its daily rations of grain and water.

Of course the chicken became famous! (Only if they had social media back in those days!). "Mike" was quite the site entertaining patrons from all across the country eventually winding up in the pages of "Life and Time" magazine. Now, ever year the city of Fruita celebrates the famous headless fowl. May 31st-June 1st is the 21st annual "Mike The Headless Chicken Festival!" Of course sponsored by the American Poultry Association, the festival includes events including a 5K race/walk, disc golf tournament, live bands, a chicken wing-eating contest, and the infamous  “Chicken Poop Bingo” game! For more on this little shindig click HERE. And we will likely see you in Fruita, at some point, either early or later in May!

Credit: Out There Colorado