Please register to attend this free event and sign up for workshops!

For more than a decade, the Embracing Aging Expo has brought our community together to celebrate aging, discover valuable resources, and experience new possibilities. This special event connects older adults with local organizations, health and wellness resources, educational opportunities, and activities designed to inspire a healthier, more active life. Our mission is to assist older adults in Chaffee County in living the most vibrant, purposeful, and inspiring chapter of their lives.

Whether you come to learn something new, try something you've never experienced before, or simply connect with others, the Embracing Aging Expo is a place to explore, engage, and embrace all that life has to offer in our beautiful county.

EMBRACING AGING EXPO 2026 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Doors open at 8:30am

Vendor Resources will be available in the north building all day long from 8:30am-3:00pm.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & EXPERT PRESENTATIONS

Keynote Speaker: Jaclyn Cheves. Lessons from the Blue Zones: How the World’s Longest-Living Populations Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice. NORTH BUILDING

9:00-10:15am

Keynote Speaker: Stephanie Giangiulio. Strong, Stable, & Ageless: Movement, Mindset, Mobility & Metabolism for Life. NORTH BUILDING.

10:30-11:30am

Expert Lightening Rounds (15-minute presentations.) Q and A

Practical Ways To Bring it Home with Nicole Freyschlag

Importance of Strength with Kim Schaeffer

Measure What Matters: Tracking Muscle Mass As We Age with Lucas Smith

NORTH BUILDING

12:15-1:15pm

Keynote Speaker: Jaclyn Cheves. Healthy Living in Chaffee County: Applying Blue Zones-Inspired Strategies for Local Well-Being. NORTH BUILDING

1:30-3:00pm

CAREGIVING TRACK RESOURCES & EDUCATION

It’s All About the Approach: Stephanie Giangiulio. Nobody hands you a manual when you become a caregiver. This training is that manual. This is a practical, no-fluff workshop for in-home caregivers covering everything from how to set up the environment for success, to what to do when behavior happens, to why your health matters just as much as theirs. Bring your questions. Leave with tools you can use today. SOUTH CLASSROOM.

9:00-10:00am

11:00-11:30am

Walk and Talk with Ashley Parsons and other Alzheimer’s/dementia-related caregivers. OUTSIDE

1:00-1:45pm

Building Brain Healthy Habits with Bobbie D’Addario. Healthy Habits education program provides research-backed guidance on brain health and outlines the importance of taking action at every age to protect your brain.
SOUTH CLASSROOM

The Reset Button with Will Devine. Simple, neuroscience informed tools to help caregivers reduce stress, build resilience, and continue caring for others without losing themselves. SOUTH CLASSROOM

2:00-2:45pm

ACTIVITIES

8:30-12pm: Library Bookmobile. PARKING LOT

8:30-1:30pm: Mini-Blessings mini-horses. PARKING LOT

8:30-1:30pm: E-Bikes Demos & Trishaw Rides. PARKING LOT

9-2pm: AcuDetox. SOUTH BUILDING MEETING ROOM

9-2pm: A1C testing & vaccines. NORTH BUILDING

10-10:30am: Drums Alive with Laurie Hinman on the south building patio

10:30-11:15am: Tai Chi with Melodee Kennington south parking lot grass area

11:00-11:30am: Juggling with Will Devine south parking lot meditation path

11:30am - Lunch. Enjoy a Blue Zone-inspired lunch with Kalamata Pit.

12-12:15pm: Chaffee Walks with Jonathon Stalls. Walk after eating! Meet on South Building Patio

until 1:30pm: E-Bikes Demos & Trishaw Rides. PARKING LOT

until 1:30pm: Mini-Blessings mini-horses. PARKING LOT

until 2pm: A1C testing & vaccines. NORTH BUILDING

until 2pm: AcuDetox. SOUTH BUILDING MEETING ROOM

Visit Resource tables from: AARP, Alzheimer’s Association, Chaffee County Public Health, HRRMC, Beneficent, Salida Pharmacy and Fountain, Selix Law, Colorado Care Cooperative, Natural Grocers, Colorado Legal Services, Early Childhood Service Corp, Valley Wide Health Services, Columbine Manor, Chaffee County DHS, PW Agency, Journey of Care, Audibel Hearing Center, Ascent Eye Care, High Country Bank, Central Colorado Area Agency on Aging, AirMedCare Network, Age Wise Colorado, Places to Age, Commstar Alarms, Sol Vista Health, Enhabit Home Health Care and Hospice, Journey of Care, Morning Sage Wellness, Places to Age, Colorado Legal Services, Ark Valley Spellbinders, Colorado State Health Insurance Assistance, Mountain Valley Transit, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, PranaBeing Yoga Therapy & Ayurveda, Home Smart Preferred Realty, Elevated Life, Elder Wisdom Press, Faricy Boys, Intrinsic Paths, St. Vincent Health, Atlas Home Maintenance, Chaffee County Housing Authority