Named (although misspelled) for the vast array of peonie flowers in the area, Paonia is today still a lush landscape, which produces an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Fishing, hiking, and river floating are all popular in this small, but mighty town. Cherries are the top crop here, and the town celebrates the tart, but tasty fruit for three days during the Paonia Cherry Days each July. A parade, barbecue, fireworks, and, of course, cherries and cherry pies fills the streets.
On Main Street, serious journalists still crank out a nationally recognized and highly progressive environmental newspaper known as the High Country News. Unabashed, investigative journalism reigns above all, and the paper's supporters, including some Grateful Dead members, cherish it.
Two adjacent history museums, the Paonia Museum and the Bowie Schoolhouse Museum, offer a step back into the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Read old articles about fruit growing in the area. Explore the abandoned mines still scattered around town or cool off at the Paonia Reservoir.
Community Resources:
Paonia Chamber Of Commerce
132 Grand Ave.
P.O. Box 366
Paonia, CO 81428
970-527-3886
paoniachamber.com