Montrose’s annual BeaconFest offered fun, music, educational seminars and prizes for the area’s growing senior population

MONTROSE, Colo. (KJCT) - Seniors from Montrose and Delta gathered together Thursday for a day of free fun, music, food samples, seminars, and prizes at the Montrose Pavilion.

Hosted by Beacon Senior News, BeaconFest brought seniors and their families together in a celebration of our community’s elders. More than 60 local businesses and national agencies attended.

“The population of seniors in Montrose and Delta County is growing exponentially every year, this is becoming quite a hub for people that want to retire and slow down a little bit. In fact, I just talked to a couple and they had retired in Greeley and decided to move here because they were just tired of all the people on the Front Range,” said Beacon Senior News Publisher Kevin Van Gundy.

Organizers said that the event is an opportunity for seniors to learn about valuable resources meant for their demographic, including estate planning, Medicare and Medicaid, and long-term care.

The festival also helped like-minded seniors find folks with similar interests and build friendships, as well offering as volunteering opportunities, clubs, and organizations geared towards the 65+ age group. Seniors are among the most at risk of becoming socially isolated, which can seriously impact their health.

Local experts held seminars on recognizing the signs of atrial fibrillation, vascular diseases, Medicare basics, and robotic hip and knee replacements, helping them explore potential future medical procedures and treatments for injuries and diseases commonly experienced by seniors.

Seniors were also invited to kick back, put their feet up, and relax listening to live music. Door prizes were given out, including vacation packages, hot springs soaks, gift cards, and other prizes. Lucky seniors who stuck around until the afternoon received all unclaimed door prizes in a “madcap rendition of Monty Hall’s Let’s Make a Deal” called Let’s Make a Squeal.

Organizers said that more than 1,200 seniors attended this year.

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