Top Picks

Back for its 7th annual celebration, the whimsical Animas City Night Bazaar once again ignites all the community feels with a heavy dose of art and silliness. Humans, large and small, short and tall, are welcome to wander Animas Alley and the nooks and crannies found between 29th and 31st streets on the last Wednesday evening of the month from June through September. This season’s themes include the return of the River Pirates (June 26 at Memorial Park), A Rip in Time (July 31 in Animas Alley), Full STEAM Ahead (August 28 in Animas Alley), and Cultivating Community (September 25 at the SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab). Grab a bite at one of North Main’s groovy restaurants, jive to live music, support local artisans, and enjoy summer breezes with old and new friends. Learn more at animascitynightbazaar.com.

Durango takes to new heights during the beloved Animas Valley Balloon Rally held October 18 through 20, 2024. This free, family-friendly event kicks off with the 9^th Annual Balloon Glow sponsored by the Durango Business Improvement District on Friday, October 18, in front of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and General Palmer Hotel. On Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. from Sylvia’s Air Park, 35 hot air balloons will take to the skies in a Mass Ascension above the Animas River Valley. Bundle up, pack a thermos of hot cocoa, and watch Floating Awaysis, Humpty Dumpty, Prometheus, George, and other past favorites turn Missionary Ridge a shade more colorful. Free, tethered rides for children will start around 9 a.m., with another opportunity to enjoy the Balloon Glow on Saturday evening in downtown Durango. Animasvalleyballoonrally.com.

The 50^th anniversary of Hardrockers Holidays, a three-day celebration of Silverton’s mining heritage, takes place on the second weekend of August 2024 at the Kendall Mountain Recreation Area. Re-instated in 1974 by the Zanoni brothers, Zeke and Tom, Hardrockers Holidays is Silverton’s longest-running event, dedicated to preserving mining history and practices. Competitions feature men’s and women’s categories, including a wheelbarrow race; hand and machine mucking; single man, novice, and team drilling; hand steeling; single jacking; and spike driving. Many families have competed in Hardrockers Holidays for three and even four generations. Friday kicks off the competitions with children’s events, a horseshoe tournament, and junior and adult arm wrestling held on Main Street. The ever-popular crowd-pleaser, Tug-O-War, launches competitions on Saturday. Bring your teams!  For more information, please call 970-387-5635 or visit the Hardrockers Holidays page on Facebook.

Just 15 minutes north of downtown Durango, James Ranch Grill offers a cool oasis along Highway 550. The ranch’s beautiful, grassy terraces welcome locals and travelers to snag a picnic table in the shade and settle in for a family-friendly evening of live music during the Summer Music Series held May 28 through August 29 every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Grab a burger (voted “Best Burger” in Durango for the past eight years), fries, and a tasty beverage and listen to local bands play country, bluegrass, Americana, contemporary, and folk rock genres. Wander the grounds on a self-guided tour, feed and play with the kid goats, and enjoy views of the ranch where the grill sources many of its ingredients. Visit jamesranch.net/events for an updated music schedule.

Enjoy an intimate evening with some of the finest singer-songwriters in the business at The Community Concert Hall on August 28, 2024. Learn the stories behind the songs these musicians have penned for popular recording artists such as Rascal Flatts, Kenney Chesney and Carrie Underwood, then listen as they perform the songs as they were originally written. The stage is sparse: this concert could just as easily take place in a living room. There’s no light show, no choreography, just a group of friends taking turns singing songs and sharing stories. They’ll jump in to add improvised instrumental backing or just sit back and enjoy each other’s performances.

Proceeds from the show will benefit Plata County Search & Rescue, a group of 100 dedicated volunteers who venture into our back-country and technical settings to ensure the safety of those who find themselves in perilous situations.

Visit Durangoconcerts.com for tickets.

The Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum will host the 3^rd annual Pino Nuche Indigenous Art Market and Juried Show from August 9 through 11, 2024, at Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio, Colorado. The Pino Nuche Indigenous Art Market and Juried Show promotes and advances Indigenous artists from all tribal nations by showcasing their artwork and helping them achieve their artistic, business, and philanthropic goals in the Four Corners region. More than 30 artists will exhibit a variety of fine art mediums, including basketry, pottery, paintings, jewelry, and other mixed media to compete for the prestigious “Best in Show” award. Visit the Pino Nuche Indigenous Art Market to meet the artists and vendors, enjoy live music and dancing, win door prizes, and view in-house art and traditional craft demonstrations. Learn more at southernutemuseum.org.

Author Craig Childs welcomes all to an evening performance for the second year at Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch in McElmo Canyon, west of Cortez. This outdoor show, “Time Traveler’s Notebook,” occurs on September 21, the night of the autumnal equinox. Childs informs and delights audiences through a spell-binding production, incorporating live music, visuals, and lights for a storytelling experience that explores time through earth sciences and ancient ancestry. Part performance art and part lecture, this one-time-only, concert-style presentation will not be filmed or streamed. Bring a chair and fall-weather gear and explore the grounds before the show begins promptly at sunset. Food vendors will be available. For more information, visit canyonoftheancients.com or contact Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch at 970-565-4288.

True Western Roundup is back for it’s eleventh season of rodeo and western events at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in Durango. The TWR aims to preserve local western heritage, promote businesses, support human and animal athletes, build community and provide a family friendly atmosphere in an authentic atmosphere.

Bring your family and friends for an exciting evening of wild western entertainment! This summer, the event series consists of ten rodeos, taking place on Wednesday evenings from May 29-August 7 and a special patriotic weekend with a professional bull riding event and an ultimate bull fighting event will be hosted on Friday and Saturday July 5 and 6.

The full calendar with details and tickets is available at www.TrueWesternRoundup.com. Follow our social media for up updates on all the action!

It’s not a triathlon; it’s a heptathlon! The Valkyrie Multisport Relay consists of seven events, with up to nine people per team, or participants can do the endurance feat solo. To begin, the trail runner runs 9.3 miles to tag the mountain biker, who shreds 16.3 miles to finish at Lake Nighthorse. The MTB-er hands off to the SUP-er for a five-kilometer stand-up paddleboard before the swimmer undertakes two kilometers in open water. Then, the road cyclist rides 41.9 miles to the kayaker, who paddles five miles on the Animas River from Oxbow Park to Santa Rita Whitewater Park. The road runner enjoys a lovely 16.1 miles along the river trail, back to the park, where the party is in full swing. Sprint and full course options are available. For details, photos, ideas, resources, and pre-race events, visit valkyrierelay.com.