Mike The Headless Chicken

Calling All Vendors for the 2026 Mike the Headless Chicken Festival!

Join us in celebrating the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival on May 29 and 30, 2026, at the Fruita Civic Center Pavilion. We’re on the lookout for:

Food Trucks
Artisan Vendors
Attraction Vendors

Showcase your unique offerings to thousands of attendees at this one-of-a-kind festival that celebrates the quirky and unforgettable story of Mike the Headless Chicken.

Apply Now:

Visit https://www.eventeny.com/events/mike-the-headless-chicken-festival-2026-27214/?action=vendor to complete your application

Our next Mike The Headless Chicken Festival Poster Contest has officially begun!!

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝟭𝟱𝟬/𝟮𝟱𝟬 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

In 2026, we aren't only celebrating Mike the Headless Chicken! We are being patriotic and celebrating America's 250th birthday and Colorado's 150th birthday!

Add your touch to Fruita history by entering your best digital artwork for a chance to design the official 2026 Mike the Headless Chicken poster. We are reaching out to the artists of the Grand Valley Community to create a poster that is truly special and encompasses the essence of quirky Fruita and our favorite Headless Chicken, Mike.

The winner will receive a $500 cash prize (to include all exclusive reproduction rights and copyrights.) A copy of the 2026 Mike the Headless Chicken poster and other festival merchandise.

𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

•Must live in the Grand Valley area (Mack, Loma, Fruita, Grand Junction, Orchard Mesa, Clifton, Palisade, Glade Park, Redlands)
•All art entries must be digital (Photography is not eligible)
•File Format: PNG, .AI, .PSD, or Vector
•Mike the Headless Chicken needs to be the main focus of the poster.
•Artwork must be appropriate.
•The poster should utilizes the 2026 festival theme of patriotic with tribute to America's 250th birthday and/or Colorado's 150th birthday.
•Creativity! Make it your own!
•The artwork should be flexible enough to be used on other mediums (t-shirt, stickers, website, pamphlet)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴:

•Meets the above criteria.
•Entries should represent the quirkiness of Fruita and Mike the Headless Chicken Festival.

All art must be submitted online through the form below no later than 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗮𝘁 𝟱 𝗽𝗺 𝗠𝗧𝗗.

To submit your artwork please visit https://form.jotform.com/260224421765149

TODAY IS THE DAY! 🐔🎉

The 2025 Mike the Headless Chicken Festival kicks off at 4:00 PM today, Friday, May 30th, in downtown Fruita!

We’re celebrating 25 years of one legendary chicken with:
🎶 Free live music, beer garden, contests, 5K race, food trucks, artisan vendors & more!

Bring your crew and come celebrate a Fruita classic—25 years of fun, feathers, and pure weirdness.
Let’s get clucking! ❤🐔✨

📍 Festival info: fruita.org/mike/page/festival-guide

Only 2 DAYS left! 🐔

Fruita’s quirkiest tradition returns this Friday, May 30th—and we’re celebrating 25 years of the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival!

Join us downtown for two full days of contests, live music, a beer garden, 5K race, food trucks, local vendors, and all the small-town weirdness you could hope for.

It’s almost here—and it’s going to be a cluckin’ good time. ❤🐔✨
📍 Festival info: fruita.org/mike/page/festival-guide

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! 🐔

The 2025 Mike the Headless Chicken Festival begins this Friday, May 30th in downtown Fruita—and this year marks the 25th anniversary of Fruita’s most famously headless celebration!

There will be contests, live (and free!) music, a beer garden, 5K race, artisan vendors, food trucks, and everything you need to make it a weekend to remember.

We can’t wait to see you all there. ❤🐔✨
📍 Festival info: fruita.org/mike/page/festival-guide

Be part of the quirky chaos! 🐔 Every year, thousands flock to Fruita to celebrate a headless chicken with a heart—and the 25th anniversary is going to be legendary. Want in? Volunteer for Mike the Headless Chicken Festival, happening May 30–31.

✅ Help make Fruita’s signature festival unforgettable
👕 Get a limited-edition volunteer shirt
🎁 Snag a $15 merch voucher
🎉 Soak up the weird, wonderful fun from the inside

Volunteer shifts include race support, entrance help, and more. You’ll get full instructions and a front-row seat to the madness. Sign up here:
https://bit.ly/42r1Nnb

MTHCF 5K registration is now open!

Each year, hundreds gather in Fruita to honor a chicken who lived for 18 months… without a head.

Today, the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival isn’t just about a headless chicken. It’s a celebration of life, thinking differently, and enjoying the little weird things that make life so good.

Help us kick off one of the oddest festivals you’ve ever heard of with the MTHCF 5K Run. Inspired by the true tale of Mike, that’s been featured by NPR, National Geographic, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not, this event is your chance to race, walk, or just cross the road on one of Colorado’s most legendary mornings.

Registration is now open. Sign up today and get a limited edition Mike The Headless Chicken 25th Anniversary race shirt.

https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/Fruita/MTHCF5K