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October 2026 | That's a Wrap on the summer!

Sep 30

3 min read

September felt like one last big hurrah for summer — plenty of markets, a whole lot of time outside, and some really good adventures squeezed in between!

One Last Month of Markets

September officially wrapped up my summer market season! I spent every Friday back at the Dillon Farmers Market, made a few trips down to Evergreen, and tried out the Fairplay Fall Fest for the first time.

Fairplay ended up being such a fun surprise — a great crowd, a successful day, and, perhaps most importantly, there were goats AND ducks. Really, what more could you ask for from an art market?

I also joined Silverthorne First Friday for an evening of live music featuring an all-female Led Zeppelin cover band, which was exactly as fun as it sounds.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided that the final few markets of the season needed a little extra excitement, so there was quite a bit of rain involved. But after a very full summer of loading, unloading, setting up tents, tearing down tents, meeting customers, and hauling bins all over Colorado, I really can't complain.

One fun number: the Dillon Farmers Market season alone stretched from June 5 through September 25 which included 17 Fridays of farmer's market opportunities! Add in festivals, art fairs, First Fridays, and markets around the state, and my tent definitely got its workout this year.

I'm now taking a little break from in-person events while I restock, make new work, and prepare for the next round. Holiday market season begins in mid-November, so my tent gets a short vacation before the Christmas craziness begins!

Four Days on the River

September actually started far away from the market tent. For Labor Day weekend, ten of us headed out for a four-day rafting trip, and we somehow lucked out with both wonderful company and pretty fantastic weather.

There is something very special about spending several days traveling by river. Waking up at camp, making meals together, floating all day, and having nowhere else you need to be.

We also had plenty of animal sightings along the way, which inevitably made their way into my sketchbook. The trip ended up becoming the inspiration for this month's Little Art Club illustration too!!

Back on Two Wheels

Later in the month, Steve and I headed out to Fruita for a few days while he was there for work. We stayed in a very cute tiny house Airbnb, and I managed to get out for a couple of mountain bike rides — my first mountain biking outings in more than a year!

The Most Magical Wedding Bike Crawl

And somehow September still had one more adventure left. I wrapped up the month in Boulder celebrating some wonderful friends at their wedding — except instead of a traditional wedding day, they created the most delightfully them version possible: a wedding bike crawl.

There were costumes. There was flair. There were bikes. There were very good vibes.

I loved seeing how intentionally they made the day their own rather than worrying about what a wedding is "supposed" to look like. It was colorful, joyful, slightly chaotic, and such a fun way to celebrate two people I love. A pretty perfect way to end the month.

Looking Ahead:

October is going to look a little different after such a packed summer. With markets on pause until mid-November, I'm looking forward to having more personal time.

This upcoming weekend, we're going to the Utah desert to explore some canyons. After that, I'm flying to Tucson, AZ to celebrate my little sister, THE BRIDE TO BE! Lastly, I'll be traveling to Italy with Stephen and his parents for a few weeks. I'm looking forward to finding some inspiration from all of these beautiful places and having some creative time during these amazing trips.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by a market, wandered into my tent in the rain, bought something, told a friend about my work, or simply came over to say hi this summer. Getting to take my artwork out into the community week after week is exhausting but I am continually grateful that this is something I get to do for an income.

Here's to a vacation-forward October before holiday chaos begins!

Warmly,

Megan

SPOILER ALERT! October Little Art Club artwork reveal on the next slide!

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September 2026 | A Breath of Fresh Air

Meg Quirk

Sep 1

3 min read

August always feels like this funny, bittersweet bridge of a month. The high-altitude summer sun is still hanging around, but there’s that unmistakable crispness in the air that hints at the seasonal shift just around the corner. We squeezed every last drop out of the final weeks of summer (and still are), balancing a busy market schedule with some much-needed downtime at home.

Markets and Mini Adventures

My market tent became a second home this month! I was at the Dillon Farmers Market every single week, soaking up the familiar faces and mountain views, and made it out to Silverthorne First Friday and the Grand Lake Arts and Crafts Fair as well. I also ventured out to try the Evergreen Farmers Market for the very first time, which was such a fun new spot to explore.

After a busy summer of loading up the car with products and camp gear every weekend, I hit a stretch of three whole weekends in a row with zero market obligations. It felt like an absolute luxury. We used the breathing room to chip away at some ongoing basement renovations at home and just genuinely lean into the art of chilling out. We’ve been completely hooked on Silo over on Apple TV, and naturally, we're right along for the ride with the new season of Ted Lasso.

To wrap up the month, my aunt Jen came out for a visit, and we packed so much fun into just a few days. She came to cheer on my sand volleyball team, jumped right in to help me out at the market, and we headed over to the Union Peak Festival where we got to see the The Revivalists. We also took the raft out for a gorgeous, lazy float day on the Upper Colorado River, and even squeezed in some crafty time together since she’s been wanting to dive into making art herself!

Dusting off the Nature Journal

On the creative front, I’ve been quietly returning to my roots and picking up my watercolors again. This October, I’m teaching a nature journaling class in collaboration with the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District (FDRD) and High Country Artisans Gallery (register here!), so I’ve been trying to get some intentional practice in.

It’s been quite a while since I actively kept a nature journal, and it's actually been six years since I last taught in an outdoor setting like I used to back during my days with the Keystone Science School. I am having a small case of imposter syndrome around this class, especially when it comes to teaching others how to create art, since most of the time I still feel like I'm just figuring it out as I go. But, stepping back into that meditative watercolor practice has been so calming, and I’m genuinely looking forward to sharing that space with everyone in October.

Editoral Debut

I was asked by Edible Denver earlier this year to create an illustration for their magazine! This issue was just released and I am so excited to show it off! It features a story written about Crepe Therapy Cafe, an establishment in Boulder CO. It was my first time doing an illustration based off a story and it definitely pushed me to think outside the box. I can't wait for another opportunity!

SPOILER ALERT! September Little Art Club artwork reveal on the next slide!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

OG Evergreen Farmer's Market

September 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM MDTChurch of the Cross

Evergreen Farmer's Market: September 1 and 22

Dillon Farmer’s Market

September 4, 2026, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM MDTDIllon Town Center

Dillon Farmer's Market: All Friday's in September!

Silverthorne First Friday Concert

September 4, 2026, 5:30 – 8:30 PMRainbow Park

Fairplay Fall Fest

September 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM – September 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM418 Main St

Learn More

Thank you for being part of this journey and for supporting local art. I hope to see you at an event this month!

Warmly,

Megan

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August 2026 | Travel, Donkeys, and New Work

Meg Quirk

Aug 5

2 min read

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been hiding the last few weeks, the short answer is... that summer has been busy. Between traveling back to Minnesota, hitting the road for mountain markets, and diving into some new creative projects, it has been a packed season!

Here is a quick look at what I’ve been up to lately.

A Trip Home to Minnesota

Back in July, I spent about ten days back home in Minnesota. I spent a few days up in Duluth connecting with a few lovely college friends, stayed at my sister’s house to catch up with my two nephews (and build SO many marble runs!), and went to the three-day Minnesota Yacht Club Festival with my other sister and a friend from Colorado!

I also spent some quality time at my parents' house saying goodbye to it, as they are selling the childhood home at the end of August. It was very fun, albeit difficult, sorting through a bunch of items from my childhood, including my American Girl Doll, Kit, from my nana and grandpa and even my old Girl Scouts Daisy vest!

This visit also had a big impact on this month's Little Art Club design -> spoiler below!

Burro Races and Markets Galore

At the end of July and beginning of August, I spent two weekends camping and selling at markets in Fairplay and Buena Vista during their burro race events. I made a few items specifically for those events, and it was a great time! Cheers to my lovely friend Molly for coining the term "Badonkey"! My August event schedule has stayed busy as well—you can check out where I'll be next below!

New Work

I wanted to start making more original items with bolder color, so I recently picked up some acrylic markers. I've been having a lot of fun experimenting with them. So far, that resulted in a small collection of fairy house illustrations with hand-painted frames, which are currently available for purchase on my website.

Other additions to the shop this month include more tote bags and t-shirts based on recent requests, including youth beetle shirts!

Between all the madness, I worked on a custom portrait featuring a lovely couple and their three cutie dogs. Custom portraits are always open for commission if you are looking for a personalized gift.