Salida Creative District

First Friday "Art & Chocolate"
2026-02-06 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | Downtown Salida, Salida, 81201, United States
FIRST FRIDAY ART & CHOCOLATE
February 6 at 5pm in the Salida Creative District

Salida Arts & Culture and downtown businesses present the February First Friday! Join us for a festive evening downtown as galleries and businesses stay open later! Enjoy art, live music, chocolate, Valentine’s activities, refreshments and conversation.

The host gallery for February is Eye Candy Art & Treasure with live music by Todd Loubsky. Stop in at participating businesses Sage Mountain Gallery, Arts Collective Salida, The Maverick Potter, Kaleidoscope Toys, Eyedia Designs, Patti Vincent Studio, HomeSmart Preferred Realty featuring Katwin Hinerman, Sandy Crawford photographer, and Gary Ginther sculptor. Visit Opal Boutique, Eyedia Designs and more. Also stop in at Naters Art Artoon Workshop at Salida Regional Library. View the Banana Show by Katharine Nelson at Brinkley Nelson Messick studio. Check out Salida Ceramics Warehouse Studios with events and demos by Compact HQ, Wendy Mitchell Art, and Poor Taste and more! Hope to see you at First Friday!

Valentine's Card making & Craft Workshop
2026-02-06 09:00 - 12:00
Valentine’s Card making & Craft Workshop for Kids.
Friday, Feb 6 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Salida Arts & Culture presents a Valentine’s Card making & Craft Workshop for children ages 6 to 9. Enjoy a creative morning at the Scout Hut as you paint, draw, create, and explore Valentine’s card making and crafts. Children ages 6 to 9 explore paint, pastels, printing and collage techniques and create ~30 Valentine’s cards for friends and family and other heart themed art projects! Art, stories, play, and fun! Bring snack, lunch, water bottle and dress for painting and play. $25. Limited space.

☝🏽To register and for more info, see Amilia/Smart Rec link here:
https://app.amilia.com/store/en/city-of-salida-recreation/api/Activity/Detail?activityId=yKEm8nR

Oil and Cold Wax Workshop with Sally Mather
2026-01-14 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-13 09:00 - 15:00
This workshop will explore the use of cold wax medium with oil paints. I will demonstrate a variety of different techniques that can be used with cold wax and oil. The workshop will also focus on exploration, taking risks and finding your creative voice.
January 13 and 14 9am-3pm at Chaffee County Fairgrounds and Event Center
$150 ($75 deposit required to hold your spot)
Limit 8 people
Please contact Sally Mather at
sally@smgm.org or 719-221-5470 for
more information or to register
Proceeds go to Ark Valley Humane Society.

A Merry Little Christmas Carol - Produced by Salida Theater Project
2025-12-13 19:00 - 20:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
A live script-in-hand performance adapted from Charles Dickens classic tale. This 75-minute contemporary adaptation, complete with Scrooge, the Spirits, the Cratchits and all of your favorites plus a few new ones, brings this story to life.
After the 7PM performance, audience members are invited to take part in Salida Theater Project/ A Church’s First Annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest for prizes in fun categories.

A Merry Little Christmas Carol presented by Salida Theater Project
2025-12-13 14:00 - 15:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
A live script-in-hand performance adapted from Charles Dickens classic tale. This 75-minute contemporary adaptation, complete with Scrooge, the Spirits, the Cratchits and all of your favorites plus a few new ones, brings this story to life.
Following the 2PM matinee, stay for the holiday party and have hot cocoa and cookies with Tiny Tim and the rest of the cast. If you are able, bring a new unwrapped toy to donate to our Share the Joy drive for local children.

Salida Arts & Culture Holiday Pop Up Shop Art Market
2025-12-13 10:00 - 16:00 | Salida SteamPlant
Join us for Salida Arts & Culture’s 6th annual Holiday Art Pop-Up Shop Art Market at the Salida SteamPlant Ballroom presenting high quality art and handmade products by local and regional artists! We are planning a fun and festive day of art and holiday shopping with music and refreshments! Join us Saturday, December 13 from 10am-4pm in the SteamPlant Ballroom.
Shop local this Holiday!

Salida Creative District First Fridays!
2025-12-05 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Downtown Salida, Salida, 81201, United States
Mark your calendars to visit Salida, Colorado, the state’s first designated Creative District, during FIRST FRIDAYS held every month of the year! Galleries and creative businesses in downtown Salida’s Creative District will stay open late every first Friday of the month. From painting to sculpture, ceramics, photography, plein air, jewelry, fiber arts, and more, drop into one of Salida’s twenty+ art galleries and creative businesses where you can interact with the artist, ask questions, watch a demo and build your unique collection. Enjoy live music, refreshments, and a festive evening. See individual galleries and businesses for their schedule of events including demos, lectures, live music, and more.

A Winter's Eve with David Arkenstone & Friends return Dec 3 at 7pm to SteamPlant Salida
2025-12-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Salida SteamPlant
Five-time GRAMMY® nominated recording artist David Arkenstone returns to Salida this holiday season with A Winter’s Eve with David Arkenstone & Friends, his ever-popular concerts that fill audiences with joy and the holiday spirit. On stage, David and his talented ensemble ignite the season with beloved holiday classics reimagined, lively seasonal originals, and surprises that get audiences clapping and celebrating together. Join for a vibrant holiday musical blend of neo-classical crossover, pop, new age, Celtic, orchestral, and world music. David Arkenstone’s performances feature a wide array of instruments—guitars, keyboards, flutes, violin, cello, mandolin, bass, viola, drums, and percussion—brought to life by his band of virtuoso musicians, who infuse every candlelit stage with spirited, festive energy.
Each winter I try to paint the season in sound,” says Arkenstone. “These concerts are joyful gatherings—familiar carols and festive new pieces that bring people together to share the excitement and wonder of the holidays.”
Tickets are on sale now at davidarkenstone.com and the SteamPlant website for this unforgettable concert experience.

Holiday gift market
2025-11-23 10:00 - 15:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Holiday gift market
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Sunday, November 23, 2025
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10:00am-3:00pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
We invite you to the Holiday Gift Market.
All are welcome to this event; well behaved dogs included.
Bring cash and come to the shop. This event is specifically local made Holiday Gifts.
There will be homemade accessories, toys, baked goods, and a pop-up Snowflake Photo-booth hosted by Alex and Misty Photography as well as a canned food drive for the Grainery.

Art Matters:
2025-11-21 16:00 - 2025-11-22 19:30
FALL of FREEDOM is calling for artists to host events nationwide on Friday-Saturday 21-22 November. In response, the Museum of Authenticity is hosting ART MATTERS: the Thrill of Mutiny, the Power of Community, a grassroots event designed to acknowledge the value of creative self-expression and to celebrate the role the arts play in social change.
21 november friday
4-7pm: art exhibit: Chaffee County women artists: LANDSCAPES
6-7pm: music: Buena Vista’s MACKLEROY & THE BODHIMANTRA, infectious guitar grooves and spirited West African beats
22 november saturday
noon-8pm: art exhibit: Chaffee County women artists: LANDSCAPES
1-1:30pm: presentation: Denverite LEON LOUGHRIDGE, master reduction block print artist: A Life in Woodblocks
2-3pm: panel discussion: Charting a new course through the arts
3:30-4:30pm: music: AUBREA ALFORD, Salida’s extraordinary genre-bending, classically trained, violinist and recording artist
5-6pm: reading: Salida writer-artist THORDIS NIELA SIMONSEN, stories from Dancing Girl and You May Plow Here that connect us to the land and to each other.
6:30-7:30pm: music: Buena Vista’s MACKLEROY & THE BODHIMANTRA, infectious guitar grooves and spirited West African beats
all events free and open to the public
consider contributing to GARNA.org or GUIDESTONEcolorado.org
@Fall of Freedom FallOfFreedom.com

Rethinking Drawing
2025-11-19 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-12 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-05 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-29 10:00 - 12:00
Resurrect your interest in drawing with a fresh approach. If you carry discouraging or prohibitive ideas about drawing, this course is designed for you. Using modern neuroscience as our basis, we’ll pull your interest in drawing back into focus. Our purpose will be to clear the obstacles that prevent you from drawing, and open you to a regular and non-judgmental practice. We’ll explore methods, principles, and habits that shift your perspective on how drawing can improve your life. This course consists of four two-hour sessions.

SMCS Mountain Masquerade Ball
2025-11-14 19:00 - 22:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Friday, November 14, 2025
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7:00pm-10:00pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Doors open 7:00 p.m.
Tix $60 for one $100 for 2 tix
Price includes entry, mask, live music and 2 drinks.
This is a benefit for Salida Montessori Charter School.
Featuring a live auction, a silent auction and live music by “Marsh Land” from New Orleans.
Dress code fancy to festive; wear what you feel good in!

Hadestown: Teen Edition
2025-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Salida High School Auditorium, Salida
The Salida High School Drama Team presents Hadestown: Teen Edition. This musical combines classic Greek literature with modern music.

Salida Arts & Culture presents Printmaking Artists in November
2025-11-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Salida SteamPlant
Creative Mixer and Artist Reception
Thursday November 13 | 5:00 – 6:30pm
Salida SteamPlant Paquette Gallery

Salida Arts & Culture presents the November art exhibition: PRINT MAKING and artist reception Thursday November 7 in conjunction with the Creative Mixer with Salida Council for the Arts. The exhibit features print making work by local and regional artists Sybil Teague, Ken Brandon, Merry Cox, Thordis Simonsen, Brink Messick, Ryan O’Brien, Chris Beedy, and Dolan Potts. See relief, intaglio, lithography, serigraph printing and more. Talk with the artists and participate in the Soapbox tradition- where artists and organizations can make announcements about upcoming events, shows, and programs. From visual art, dance, music, theatre, and more, discover ways to get involved in Salida’s vibrant arts scene! Enjoy live music and light refreshments. A cash bar is available. The Mixer is free and open to the public.

Tula CD release party
2025-11-07 18:30 - 21:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Friday, November 7, 2025
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6:15pm-9:30pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Doors 6:15 PM
Show 7:00 PM
Tix $15
Tula (aka Eunice Collette) is a local singer, songwriter, guitarist who weaves stories into soul stirring lyrics and memorable melodies. With guest musicians TJ Hittle (guitars, harmonica), Bill Lavato (bass guitar), Andrew Callaway (keyboard), and others.

Dan Mangan
2025-11-06 18:30 - 21:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Dan Mangan
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Thursday, November 6, 2025
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Doors 6:15 P.M.
Music 7:00 P.M.
Tix $20
Dan Mangan is a two-time JUNO Award-winning and two-time Polaris Music Prize-nominated musician and songwriter from Vancouver, Canada. Over more than a decade of touring, he has built a devoted international following with his warm, disarming stage presence, poetic lyricism, and knack for turning personal reflections into universal anthems. Mangan’s catalog spans from delicate folk confessionals to expansive, cinematic rock arrangements, earning him critical acclaim and collaborations with the likes of The Lumineers, City and Colour, Lucius, and Leif Vollebekk. His music has been featured in film and television, and his live shows—equal parts heart-rending and uplifting—leave audiences feeling like old friends gathered around the same campfire.

Dan Mangan
2025-11-06 18:30 - 21:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Thursday, November 6, 2025
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6:15pm-9:00pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Doors 6:15 P.M.
Music 7:00 P.M.
Tix $20
Dan Mangan is a two-time JUNO Award-winning and two-time Polaris Music Prize-nominated musician and songwriter from Vancouver, Canada. Over more than a decade of touring, he has built a devoted international following with his warm, disarming stage presence, poetic lyricism, and knack for turning personal reflections into universal anthems. Mangan’s catalog spans from delicate folk confessionals to expansive, cinematic rock arrangements, earning him critical acclaim and collaborations with the likes of The Lumineers, City and Colour, Lucius, and Leif Vollebekk. His music has been featured in film and television, and his live shows—equal parts heart-rending and uplifting—leave audiences feeling like old friends gathered around the same campfire.

SINNERS Movie Night at the SteamPlant
2025-10-30 19:00 - 21:30 | Salida SteamPlant
Step into the STEAMPLANT SPEAKEASY & join Salida Arts & Culture Halloween weekend Thursday, October 30 for 1930’s themed cocktails, live music, concessions and a SINNERS THEMED/ VAMPIRE COSTUME Dress Up and Photo booth. There will be prizes! Then enjoy Ryan Coogler’s genre‑bending vampire epic! Michael B. Jordan stars as twin brothers opening a juke joint — only to unleash a supernatural threat. Expect soul‑stirring blues, potent social themes, and edge‑of‑your‑seat horror. Discover why critics call it “one of the best films of 2025!”
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Hailee Steinfeld, and Lola Kirke
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Runtime: 128 min
Rated: R – violence and mature content | NOT SUITABLE FOR KIDS OR YOUNG TEENS
Showtime: 7:00PM | Doors Open: 6:30PM
Tickets: $12
Available for purchase online at Eventbrite or in person at the SteamPlant Box Office
Cash bar and limited concessions available for purchase

A Brother's Fountain
2025-10-28 08:00 - 17:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Thursday, November 20, 2025
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6:30pm-9:30pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Doors 6:30 PM
Music 7:00
Tix $20
Join us for a soulful performance by A Brother’s Fountain at A Church in Salida – an experience that will touch your heart and lift you up!
Come join us for an evening of music and joy with A Brother’s Fountain at A Church in Salida. Let’s gather together to enjoy their soulful tunes and uplifting melodies. It’s going to be a night to remember, so mark your calendars and bring your friends along for an epic night of campfire folk jams!

Sanctum Drawing School Costume Clinic
2025-10-27 17:30 - 19:30
Our first Costume Clinic! This will be an open session to drop-in, fix a small detail, or get started on a last-minute big idea. An entire costume build would out-of-scope for this session, but we can brainstorm with you and get a plan together that will have you ready for Halloween. We’ll be prepping a number of material work stations to have quick and easy access to fixes and extras. We’ll have a small supply of materials to work with, but encourage you to bring your idea and needed supplies and we can help you get on track to be ready for the week’s festivities. Materials will include light sewing & repairs, glue gun and adhesives assistance, rivets and cold connections, light leather work, EVA foam fabrication, and painting! Feel free to reach out with questions in advance!

Mark Gillick live!
2025-10-24 18:30 - 21:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Mark Gillick live!
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Friday, October 24, 2025
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6:15pm-9:30pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Doors 6:15 P.M.
Music 7:00 P.M.
Tix $10
Originally from Ontario, Canada, Mark began performing as an actor while in college along the coast of California appearing in multiple plays and working in movies and television. Living in Houston TX then moving to Colorado he continued theatre work and writing songs and soon began the open mic tour along with several performances at wine bars, small festivals and listening rooms.
He has performed in several places such as The Black Rose Acoustic Society, The Buffalo Grass Acoustic and the Cañon Rose Acoustic Society and the Millbend Coffee House in Houston Texas. Mark also performs with the Phantom Canyon Band which is based in Florence, Colorado

Film: The Last Class
2025-10-22 18:00 - 20:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
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Wednesday, October 22, 2025
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6:00pm-8:30pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Doors 6:00
Film 6:30
Tix $20+ fees
Ark Valley Indivisible presents the film “The Last Class”
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich might be famous for his public service, best-selling books, and viral social media posts, but he always considered teaching his true calling. The Last Class captures a master educator wrestling with the dual realities of his own aging and his students inheriting a world out of balance. Reich confronts the impending finality with unflinching candor, humor, introspection, and a rawness of emotion he has never shared publicly before.
One thousand students fill the biggest lecture hall on campus—the last class to receive Reich’s wisdom and exhortations not to accept that society has to stay the way it is. His final assignment: Who will be the teachers of tomorrow?

Salida Moth
2025-10-18 19:00 - 21:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Saturday, October 18, 2025
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6:15pm-9:00pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Click here to purchase tix!
Doors 6:15
Stories 7:00
Tix Youth $5.00 Adults $15.00
Salida’s Moth is a live storytelling event. Our theme, “One Fateful Day” has brought out several wonderful storytellers from our community, each participant will share a 10ish-minute story that is true, as remembered by them, and always told live.
Saturday’s performance is a multi generational performance with storytellers aged 17 to 70 years.
A Church and KHEN have partnered over the past 3 years to host the Salida’s Moth. In doing so we have witnessed local storytellers keeping and creating connections in our community.
This is a fundraiser for A Church and KHEN!

FILIPINO MODERN
2025-10-18 10:00 - 22:00
Community artist Tina Gramann founder of Salida Creativity Lab was one of twenty-three awardees of over 300 applications for an Arts in Society Grant. Salida Creativity Lab will present a FILIPINO MODERN festival for the Salida community featuring music, art, fashion, dance, film, and visiting artists. Save the Date Saturday October 18 for an inspired event! Saty tuned for details.

Salida Moth
2025-10-17 19:00 - 21:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
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Friday, October 17, 2025
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6:15pm-9:00pm
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A Church 419 D Street Salida CO
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Purchase your tix here!
Doors 6:15
Stories 7:00
Tix Youth $5.00 Adults $15
Salida’s Moth is a live storytelling event. Our theme, “One Fateful Day” has brought out several wonderful storytellers from our community, each participant will share a 10ish-minute story that is true, as remembered by them, and always told live.
A Church and KHEN have partnered over the past 3 years to host the Salida’s Moth. In doing so we have witnessed local storytellers keeping and creating connections in our community.
This is a fundraiser for A Church & KHEN
