Planning Events and Meetings in Grand Junction

 

By Beth Buehler

 

Grand Junction is the largest community on Colorado’s beautiful and laidback Western Slope and situated only 30 miles from the Utah border. Located less than four hours from Salt Lake City and Denver and two hours from Aspen, planning events and meetings in Grand Junction for sizable groups typically involves the 23,000-square-foot Grand Junction Convention Center.

 

An abundance of outdoor activity options courtesy of the area’s diverse landscapes also makes this a destination worth serious consideration by groups, along with easy access courtesy of Grand Junction Regional Airport and Amtrak’s California Zephyr train that travels between Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco, California. Colorado stops include Denver, Fraser, Granby, Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction.

 

Venues & Accommodations

Located in the heart of downtown, Grand Junction Convention Center can accommodate up to 2,000 people with three combinable ballrooms, six smaller meeting rooms, an indoor atrium and a 1,000-square-foot courtyard. The convention center is surrounded by restaurants, shops, galleries and name-brand hotels (Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot, Hampton Inn by Hilton, Springhill Suites by Marriot and Tru by Hilton), making it convenient for attendees to enjoy free time and comfortable places to sleep.

The historic Avalon Theatre is at the opposite end of downtown but is easily walkable from the convention center, making it easy to include both venues when planning meetings and events in Grand Junction. Built in 1923, the 900-seat theater’s facade and lobby have been restored and a lovely rooftop venue added.

 

Also downtown is Hotel Melrose, which reopened as a boutique hotel in late 2023. Also on the newer side is the upscale, 60-room Hotel Maverick located on the Colorado Mesa University campus with a conference room, the Grand Trace, and Devil’s Kitchen, a rooftop restaurant and bar with terrific views. Groups will love dining under a starry sky in the rooftop snow globes and gondolas during winter.

 

Activities & Wine Country

Make sure to take time on your meeting agenda to explore the lakes and woodlands of the Grand Mesa (the world’s largest flat-top mountain), the red rock formations of the Colorado National Monument, and the wineries, orchards and farms of the fertile Grand Valley. Breakfast or a picnic lunch on the Colorado National Monument is especially memorable. Also watch the calendar of events for scheduled programs there and consider booking the Saddlehorn Amphitheater that holds up to 150 people. Additional options are booking tee times at local golf courses; boating and fishing on numerous lakes; hiking and biking on miles and miles of trails; and skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking at Powderhorn Mountain Resort about 40 miles away.

 

Grand Junction and nearby Palisade are home to 30 wineries and make up Colorado’s primary wine-producing region. When planning meetings and events in the Grand Junction area, note that several have function space in addition to tasting rooms.

Wine Country Inn, an 80-room boutique hotel located on 21 acres of working vineyard in Palisade has a ballroom that seats 150 and a Vintner’s House that works well for corporate retreats. In addition, an outdoor pavilion holds about 575, and a courtyard accommodates more than 1,800 guests. The adjacent Grande River Vineyards has the same ownership and provides additional opportunities for gatherings.

 

On a smaller scale, Two Rivers Winery & Chateau in Grand Junction has meeting and event space, a tasting room, and 10 guest suites. Back to Palisade, Mason La Belle Vie Winery has a tasting room and patio as well as Amy’s Courtyard that can accommodate up to 150 guests with a barn, gazebo, and lawn. Denver-based Carboy Winery has a tasting room and grows grapes at Mt. Garfield Estate Vineyard in Palisade.

 

For a wine country outing that especially memorable, book winery bike tours or rent a limousine to move attendees between vineyards in style. Grand Junction and Palisade also have craft breweries, distilleries, and cideries for attendees who prefer other beverage types.

Nearby Gateway

To the south of Grand Junction about one hour is Gateway Canyons, situated in a gorgeous red rock canyon in the small town of Gateway. Surrounded by the Uncompahgre Plateau, Piñon Mesa and La Sal Mountains, this full-service resort features 72 guest rooms, suites and casitas; four restaurants; the Palisade Event Center; activities and educational programs; and the impressive Gateway Colorado Auto Museum.

 

There are a total of eight venues, with the largest indoor space being Palisade Grand Hall and Sunset Atrium that hold up to 150 people. The biggest outdoor spaces are Cottonwood Grove for groups of up to 150 and Red Cliff Camp, which can host a maximum of 120. Activities based out of Gateway Canyons Resort include self-piloted UTV and Jeep tours, interpretive tours with drivers, guided hikes and archery classes.

 

Just 15 minutes away is sister property Palisade Ranch that can hold up to 40 for gatherings and activities such as horseback rides, horsemanship experiences and roping lessons. Groups also can book cowboy storytelling and a donkey challenge experience, where teams of four to six get to know their assigned donkey before competing in a race.

 

Consider the Grand Junction when planning your next meeting or event. For many, it’s an undiscovered region of Colorado that most certainly will impress.

 

Top Photo: Courtesy of Visit Grand Junction

 

Colorado native Beth Buehler has been editor of Colorado Meetings + Events magazine for 20 years, helped launch Mountain Meetings magazine, and was on the team that introduced Southwest Meetings + Events. She has planned numerous meetings and events and enjoys exploring Colorado.