Strive

A sincere thank you to our wonderful Pumpkin Sponsors, Networks Unlimited, Bank of Colorado, and Bechtel & Santo, for your ongoing support for Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated.

We also want to shine a spotlight on our media partner, MBC Grand Magic 93.1. Their dedication to STRiVE is truly unmatched, and their support is vital in helping us promote and share these beautiful community events!

🎃 Huge shout-out to our Harvest Illuminated Sculpture Sponsors!

We appreciate ANB Bank and Home Loan Insurance, a division of Mountain West Insurance & Financial Services, LLC, for supporting us from the start.
We also thank Whitewater Building Materials Corp. and Morfitt Farms. This event would not be possible without your help!

Thank you for supporting Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated!

Join us for Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated — three nights of spectacular illuminated pumpkin sculptures, live carving, and incredible artistry from Food Network competitors and other talented carvers, October 22–24 at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens.

Presented by Community Hospital, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Rocky Mountain Health Plans.

🎟️ Tickets & information: strivecolorado.org

🎃 Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated is almost here! 🎃

Join us October 22–24 at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens for an unforgettable fall experience featuring incredible pumpkin sculptures created by talented Food Network competitors!

Come see what these artists can create using pumpkins and enjoy a unique evening at the Gardens.

Presented by: Community Hospital, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Rocky Mountain Health Plans

📅 October 22–24, 2026
📍 Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
🎟️ Tickets & information: strivecolorado.org

Meet our artists for Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated — Keith Martin!

The owner of Snice Carvings LLC, Keith is an accomplished snow and ice sculptor whose work has become a familiar part of Colorado’s winter landscape. He has competed in the Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships and created snow and ice installations for communities and resorts including Keystone, Copper Mountain, and Cripple Creek.

His work takes many forms, from competition pieces to large-scale snow features that have become seasonal attractions in Colorado’s mountain towns. That same creativity comes to the Gardens each fall when he trades snow and ice for pumpkins.

Keith has been part of the event since its first year in 2020, making his return one of our longest-running Harvest Illuminated traditions. We’re excited to have him back for another year of carving!

Learn more about Snice Carvings at snowandicecarving.com.

Meet our artists for Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated— Jamie Louks!

Jamie brings an extraordinary mix of artistry and craftsmanship to everything she creates. A pastry chef, sculptor, and owner of Sugarnova Cakes, she has built an impressive career creating detailed works of art in a variety of forms, including large-scale sand sculptures created around the world. She's also recently added stained glass to her artistic repertoire.

This season, Jamie is also competing on Halloween Wars, airing on Food Network, putting her creativity and sculpting skills in front of audiences across the country.

We’re thrilled to have her back at Harvest Illuminated, where you can watch her create amazing pumpkin sculptures live at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens.

It’s Direct Support Professionals Week! 💙

Our DSPs are the backbone of our organization. Every day, they provide the hands-on support, encouragement, and connection that help the people we serve reach their goals, build independence, and live the lives they choose.

This week, we’re celebrating our amazing DSPs with a sweet treat as a small thank-you for everything they do.

We are incredibly grateful for the dedication, compassion, and care they bring to their work every day. Thank you for being such an important part of STRiVE! 💙

Meet our artists for Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated - Ryan Salazar- Garcia!

Ryan is a local carver, owner of The Dynamite Gal Food Truck, and a longtime contributor to Harvest Illuminated. For this year’s event, Ryan came up with our Monster Mash theme, helping set the direction for the pumpkin displays you’ll see this October.

Ryan is skilled at transforming pumpkins into beautiful works of art, but his carving skills go beyond pumpkins. He has also volunteered with Ice Alaska, where he helped create the park's ice attractions, gaining experience in a completely different medium.

We greatly appreciate Ryan’s ongoing support for Harvest Illuminated and the talent and personality he contributes to the event. We’re pleased to have him back for another year of carving!

Meet our artists for Fall at the Gardens: Harvest Illuminated - W***y Tuz!

W***y is one of the Grand Valley’s best-known carving artists, creating striking sculptures from pumpkins, ice, and fruit. His talent has taken him to the Food Network as a repeat competitor on both Outrageous Pumpkins and Halloween Wars, where he has put his creativity and carving skills to the test.

A longtime favorite at Harvest Illuminated, W***y returns to the Gardens in 2026 to create his incredible pumpkin sculptures. His live carving is a chance to see the skill, precision, and creativity that go into transforming an ordinary pumpkin into something extraordinary.

When he’s not carving pumpkins, W***y can be found creating impressive works through Colorado Fruit Designs, where you can see more of his work.