Cavalcade: Fruita’s All-Volunteer Stage For Music, Magic + Community
In the heart of downtown Fruita, just off Aspen Avenue, sits a small, intimate venue with an outsized impact. Cavalcade is more than a stage — it’s a gathering place where art and community intertwine, fueled entirely by volunteer passion. For 14 years, this all-ages, all-volunteer performing arts space has welcomed musicians, poets, comedians and storytellers to share their craft with an audience that’s there to truly listen.
Cavalcade’s story began before its name existed, in a creative space called Mirth. As Jeannine Purser — the sound engineer, booking agent and director — recalls, “Josh Ott and Max Connors started Mirth. Within that space was an apparel line named Ones, owned by Michelle Cools. Another thing that happened inside Mirth was Cullen Purser's‘Cavalcade of Interesting People,’ where he would interview a fascinating person who lived right here in the Grand Valley.”
Photos courtesy of Cavalcade
When Mirth’s founders moved on, Michelle and Cullen Purser didn’t want to lose the momentum of their projects. They rallied four other families to take over the lease. “At the time we were just throwing spaghetti on the walls to see what would stick,” Jeannine Purser says. “We had open crafting nights, tinker nights, open mic night, movie night, concerts and our monthly variety show. As time went on, we realized that the music piece of the puzzle was going to be the spaghetti that stuck.”
That focus remains today, with open mic nights, variety shows and concerts forming the backbone of Cavalcade’s calendar.
Being an all-volunteer space is more than an operational choice — it’s a philosophy. “We are all there because we are passionate about being there,” Jeannine Purser explains. “We want to offer this experience to our community because we love the community and what Cavalcade brings to everyone who walks through our doors.”
Current volunteers range from sound engineers and emcees to cleaning crews and booking coordinators. Even the variety show performers donate their time so proceeds can go toward rent and utilities.
A Stage for the Brave and the Curious
Step into a Cavalcade show, and you’ll sense it immediately: the freedom to take creative risks. “Cavalcade is a place where people of all skill levels are permitted to present themselves authentically, warts and all,” says Cullen Purser. “For someone learning how to perform, they know they can fail in front of people without being ostracized. For seasoned performers, they can feel safe to expand their horizons.”
Jeannine Purser adds that the atmosphere is “the feeling that something great is about to happen right before your eyes, and then it does.” The venue is strictly a sit-down listening room, designed so audiences can engage deeply with the music“in the way that the musicians have intended their music to be heard.”
Cavalcade’s booking process blends openness with intuition. Cullen Purser jokes, “We have an invisible forcefield at the front doors, which deters debutantes and divas.” Many performers first appear at the long-running Thursday open mic, then return for variety shows or ticketed concerts. While traveling acts often find the venue themselves, the lineup skews local — giving talented Western Slope artists, from seasoned players to first-timers, a safe spotlight.
Cavalcade survives on ticket sales, occasional space rentals and the generosity of artists who donate show proceeds. “We literally do not profit,” Cullen Purser says. “We intentionally have no paid staff. This is how as a venue we survived the COVID-19 years.” Their landlord, the local Masonic Lodge, has also been “incredibly supportive and kind.”
As Fruita has evolved into a cultural and outdoor destination, Cavalcade has quietly deepened the town’s artistic roots. “Art without community is a tree falling in the forest that nobody hears,” Cullen Purser reflects. “Cavalcade is a community builder. We are consistent and have been for 14 years. There are connections upon connections that don’t even know it originated at Cavalcade.”
Jeannine Purser sees its uniqueness in its motives: “We aren't trying to make money off of anyone. From the safety that is found through that ethic, many artists have wound up broadening their horizons and sharing their talents throughout the entire City of Fruita.”
What’s On Stage
Regular programming keeps the space humming:
Open Mic Night – Every Thursday at 7 p.m.
Monthly Variety Show – 2nd Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ($10 adults/$5 students)
Swing Dancing – 2nd Friday, lessons at 6 p.m. ($5), dancing at 7 p.m. (free)
Open Story Night – 3rd Friday, free
Open Mic Comedy Night – 4th Friday, hosted by Joke Junction, free
This fall’s highlight was a special Oct. 25, 2025 concert with guitarist-composer Hayden Pedigo, slotted into a rare tour gap between Denver and Salt Lake City. “The audience will feel so close to the experience,” Cullen Purser says. “And he will leave having been cared for in ways most venues won’t do.”
A Place Called Holy
Patrons often describe Cavalcade in reverent tones. Late poet Steve Cline, a regular performer, captured the feeling in his Ode to the Cavalcade, where “cold winter nights” are warmed by “music done right.” Young poet Reilly Prescott likens it to “a holy place…Though it isn’t a church, it’s still home.”
14 years in, Cavalcade remains true to its roots: an open door, a safe stage and a steadfast belief that music and art are best when shared. Or as Jeannine Purser puts it simply, “We are there because we love what we are doing.”
Originally published in the fall 2025 issue of Spoke+Blossom.