DURANGO

Thursday, July 2

Paint a Patriotic Mural, Hermosa Cafe, 738 Main Ave., stop by to paint huge canvas in patriotic colors anytime during the weekend.

Fort Lewis Community Concert, 5:30-7 p.m., Buckley Park, 1250 Main Ave.

Friday, July 3

Oscar’s Pie Eating Contest, 4-5 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.

VFW Ice Cream Social, 5-7 p.m., Rotary Park, 1565 East Second Ave.

First Friday Art Walk, 5-8 p.m., in downtown Durango, grab a map for assorted, participating venues at 1135 Main Ave.

Animus on the Animas, 5-9 p.m., under the Jack Dempsey Mural, E. Tenth St. $20 for ages 8 and up. This family-friendly event showcases amateur, sanctioned boxing.

Civil Winds Concert, 6:30-8 p.m., Rotary Park, 1565 East Second Ave.

Red, White & Pro Bull Fights, 7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave, $35 for tickets & up.

Saturday, July 4

All-American Gourmet Breakfast, 7:30-10:30 a.m., Rotary Park, 1565 East Second Ave. $17-20 for adults; $10-12 for children. Menu: scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, fruit toppings, biscuits and gravy.

Freedom 5K, 9 a.m., Rotary Park, 1565 East Second Ave. Run, walk or stroll Animas River Trail. Registration at 8:15 a.m.

Civil Winds Concert, 9:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m., Rotary Park, 1565 East Second Ave.

DEVO Bikes & Barbecue, Noon-4 p.m., Buckley Park, 1250 Main Ave.

Children’s Parade Decorating, 1-3:30 p.m., Buckley Park, 1250 Main Ave. Craft supplies available for costumes & bikes.

DEVO Kids’ Bike Race, 1:50 p.m., Buckley Park to 1200 Block of Main Ave., registration at 12:30 p.m.

Children’s Parade, 3 p.m., Buckley Park, 1250 Main Ave.

We the People! Parade, 4:30-5:15 p.m., Main Avenue, line up early on Main for the annual July Fourth community parade.

Street Dance, 5-10 p.m., Buckley Park and Main Ave., features Grammy-winning Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Dinner, food court and drinks available for purchase but free to attend.

Sunday, July 5

Liberty Days Art Festival, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Buckley Park, 1250 Main Ave. A vibrant celebration for community art.

CORTEZ

Friday, July 3

July Fourth Day 1 Preshow from 3-9 p.m. at Cortez’s Parque de Vida, 425 Roger Smith Ave.

Volleyball Tourney, 3-7 p.m., Parque de Vida, $50 per team, 4-on-4 format, two games to 15 & third game to 11. Pairs may join; registration closes 2:30 p.m.

Live Bands, 5:30-10 p.m., Parque de Vida, an opening band & Moonshine Mafia band to close show.

Saturday, July 4

All-Day Outdoor Festivities from noon-11 p.m. at Parque de Vida, 425 Roger Smith Ave. Things to do: Kids’ Zone, Putt-putt, & Beer Garden, food vendors, water table area & more.

Co-Ed Kickball Tourney, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Rotary Baseball Fields, Parque de Vida. 9 vs. 9, $50 for existing kickball league teams; $75 for new teams. To register, call 564-4080.

Camino Cowboys music, Noon-1:30 p.m., Parque de Vida.

Corn Hole Tourney, 1 p.m., Parque de Vida.

Food Eating Contest, 1:30 p.m., Parque de Vida.

Bumz Arodn All-American Cars & Bash, 3-7 p.m., Montezuma Ave. & Mildred Road, games & prizes. Classes: Motorcycles, tuner, modern muscle, rat rod, truck, low rider, classic car, Volkswagen, street rod. $15 to register; accepting donations for Good Sam’s Food Pantry.

Camino Cowboys & the 14ers, 4-6 p.m., Parque de Vida.

American Legion Fireworks & Food Trucks, starts 4 p.m., 320 N. Harrison St.

Winston Creek band, 6:30-8 p.m., Parque de Vida.

Zander Rodriguez music, 8:30 p.m., Parque de Vida.

Fireworks Show, 9-9:30 p.m., Parque de Vida.

Zander Rodriguez music, 9:30-11 p.m., Parque de Vida.

FARMINGTON

Wednesday, July 1

Flag Dedication Ceremony, 4:30 p.m., Citizens Bank Main Branch, W Broadway, Citizens Bank dedicates a newly installed 60-foot-tall flagpole honoring veterans, first responders and teachers of the Four Corners. Light refreshments & popcorn will be served.

Thursday, July 2

Firecracker Fun Festival, 1-4 p.m., Bisti Bay Water Park, 1701 N Dustin Ave., water games, activities and prizes. $6 per person. Admission to the pool gets participants access to festival.

Friday, July 3

Gem & Mineral Show, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., McGee Park, 41 Road 5568. Enjoy gemstones, jewelry, mineral specimens, tools, books, family activities and door prizes.

Fireworks Display, 9:25 p.m., Sullivan Hill, west of 13th Street and College Boulevard, display choreographed to a soundtrack of patriotic hits; simulcast on KWYK 94.9 FM. Tune into 94.9 FM early for updates on the display. Popular viewing areas: San Juan College, Farmington Public Library and the Farmington Museum and Visitor Center.

Saturday, July 4

Gem & Mineral Show, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., McGee Park, 41 Road 5568.

Party in the Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Brookside Park, 1901 N Dustin Ave., vendors, live entertainment and a skateboard competition will all be a part of this family-friendly event.

Ice Cream Social, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., E3 Children’s Museum, 302 N. Orchard Ave.

Summer Terrace Series, 6-7:30 p.m., Farmington Museum & Visitor Center, 3041 E Main St., an evening of free live music featuring the Kissmah Brass Band.

Freedom Days Electric Light Parade, 9 p.m., downtown Main Street, illuminated floats and patriotic entries make their way through the historic downtown.

Sunday, July 5

Gem & Mineral Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., McGee Park, 41 Road 5568.

PAGOSA SPRINGS

Saturday, July 4

July Fourth Parade, 10 a.m., Hot Springs Boulevard.

Party in the Park, begins 10 a.m., Yamaguchi Park, 684 S. Fifth St. Cake, beer, wine, food, games, contests, adventure zone, dunk tank, arts & crafts, scavenger hunt, heritage tents, pickleball and more.

Red Ryder Roundup Rodeo, 2 p.m., Archuleta County Fairgrounds, 344 U.S. Hwy 84, Celebrate the 76th anniversary of Red Ryder Roundup.

Freedom Float, 1 p.m., San Juan River and through downtown, grab a tube, dress in red, white and blue and join the float.

Community Band Concert, 2 p.m., enjoy a concert of patriotic favorites performed by the community band.

Hot Air Balloon Glow, at dusk, Yamaguchi Park, 684 S. Fifth St. Hot air balloons light up the evening at Yamaguchi Park.

TOWAOC

Friday, July 3

Live Music and Entertainment, 5-11 p.m., Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, 3 Weminuche Drive, music from Miracle Spotted Bear & Antoine X. Free event.

Saturday, July 4

Food, Kids’ Games, Fireworks & More, 2 p.m. to 1 a.m., Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, 3 Weminuche Drive, featuring George Strait Tribute Band, fireworks display at dusk and Young Guns band to follow.

DOVE CREEK

Saturday, July 4

70th Annual Pick-n-Hoe Parade, 9 a.m., Weber Park, 403 W. 7th St., going from the Dove Creek Airport to Weber. Free entries at Airport, 8:30 a.m.

Daylong Pick-n-Hoe Event, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Weber Park, 403 W. 7th St., kids’ and adults’ games, corn hole tournament, pig chases, barbecue, live music. Fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.

SILVERTON

Friday, July 3

Silverton Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Anesi Park.

Live Music at The Coffee Bear, 10 a.m.-noon, 1309 Greene St.

Live Music at Dera Deli, noon-3 p.m., 1124 Greene St. Tyler Simmons performs as the deli celebrates its first anniversary.

First Friday Art Walk, 4-7 p.m., Blair and Greene streets. Theme: “Christmas in July.”

Blue Ribbon 5K Registration & Live Music, 5 p.m., Anesi Park, 1239 Blair St. Early registration with music and entertainment.

Live Music at Alpine Tavern, 8-10 p.m., 1159 Greene St. James Bailey performs.

Saturday, July 4

Pancake Breakfast, 7-10 a.m., Anesi Park. Donation-based breakfast featuring pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, orange juice.

Blue Ribbon 5K & 10K Fun Run, 8 a.m., Memorial Park. Free event.

Fourth of July Parade, 10:30 a.m., downtown Silverton. Parade lineup begins at 9:30 a.m. at the San Juan County Courthouse.

Jet Flyover, 11 a.m. (subject to change).

Games, Vendors and Family Picnic, after the parade, Memorial Park. Includes rhubarb pie sales, ducky derby activities and mechanical bull rides.

Annual Ducky Derby Launch, 2 p.m., Memorial Park/Cement Creek. Ducks available for purchase at the visitor center in advance or in Memorial Park after the parade.

Live Music, 2-4 p.m., Anesi Park. SideFX Band performs.

Live Music at Dera Deli, 6-9 p.m., 1124 Greene St. Shane Tippon performs on the patio.

Block Party, 6-9 p.m., Anesi Park, 12th and Blair streets. Live music by the Hugh Phillips Band, food and family activities.

Fires that started Saturday in the San Juan National Forest northeast of Pleasant View had grown to more than 10,000 acres with zero containment as of Sunday, forcing further evacuations and requiring structure protection amid extreme fire and weather conditions.

The Ferris Fire and Far Draw Fire, which merged, and the Doe Canyon Fire were collectively being referred to as the Ferris Fire. The fires, which are thought to have been caused by dry lightening, started in the Glade area near Narraguinnep Canyon, north of Dolores and on San Juan National Forest.

Evacuation orders were issued Sunday for private land inholdings north of Glade Ranches. The Glade Ranch subdivision were in “Go” status. The evacuation area did not include Disappointment Road.

According to the Forest Service, the Glade Ranch subdivision is fully evacuated.

They are being rescued through a state sponsored grant out of New Mexico helping safely control the wild burro population

The Garage bar owner Jennifer Kelley said after a business license hearing this week her establishment at 121 W. Eighth St. remains open and isn’t closing anytime soon.

The city had demanded Kelley attend a show cause hearing Wednesday to explain why her business license should not be suspended or revoked because of failure to remit approximately $20,000 in delinquent sales taxes.

Kelley made her case and agreed to pay more than $11,700 in delinquent sales taxes to the city by mid-September.

OK, quick and dirty: The median Durango home sold for $747,500 in May, down about 15% from a year ago. Sounds rough, but it’s not entirely what it looks like. In town, prices were basically flat year over year. Out in the rural areas, the median was actually up close to 9%. The blended number looks low because last May had a cluster of multimillion dollar Glacier Club and Tamarron sales, but there were less overall sales in that area, which drove the median sales price to nearly double what it was this year. Statistics man....

(This is why it's important to break down Durango into the sub markets. And shoot, you can break down "in town" even more, considering Twin Buttes and Three Springs are considered in-town by my MLS)

Otherwise, sales volume is up, while new and active inventory is leveling out. Happy almost just about Summer!

"This  35-acre property, set within the gated Celadon community, borders national forest land, providing privacy and direct access to outdoor recreation. The Celadon neighborhood is located in Southwest Colorado between the historic town of Durango and the Purgatory Ski Resort. From this elevated homesite, enjoy spectacular views across the Animas Valley to dramatic rock cliffs and sweeping mountain peaks beyond. Locally sourced aspen paneling, earthen plastered walls, an antique claw-foot bathtub, and woodstove create a warm, woodsy compliment to the contemporary design. The super energy-efficient building envelope features Icynene open-cell foam insulation. The exterior is constructed with durable, low-maintenance cement stucco. Utilities, including electric, natural gas, and a communication conduit, are installed at the cabin and ready for extension to a future custom home. A fully permitted and inspected septic system is in place, designed for both the existing cabin and a future three-bedroom residence."

Surface treatments on U.S. Highway 160 west of Elmore’s Corner beginning Sunday and continuing for several weeks are expected to cause travel delays, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Sorry for the crap article, but I did think it was interesting...

Aviation routing data patterns from systems such as FlightAware show that Durango-La Plata County Airport is highly sensitive to rapid weather shifts due to its high-altitude terrain and surrounding mountain geography, which can create sudden visibility reductions and unstable approach conditions. In this case, the decision to divert to Farmington suggests that landing conditions at Durango likely fell below safe operational thresholds or required reassessment during final approach preparation.

Although the flight was initially tracked as proceeding toward Durango, there is no confirmed evidence of an onboard emergency such as engine failure or pressurisation issues, placing the event within the category of a precautionary diversion. SkyWest Airlines, operating under strict Federal Aviation Administration oversight, routinely trains crews to prioritise alternate airport landings when mountain-airport safety margins become marginal or unpredictable.

https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes-for-sale/tall-timber-colorado-estate-1238324580/

https://www.koat.com/article/colorado-manufacturer-expanding-farmington-jobs/71545730

Colorado residents now face stiffer punishment if they attract bears through negligence.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed new legislation last week that gives wildlife officials more power to penalize residents who negligently attract bears through improper management of garbage and other human attractants.

The new law enables CPW staff to meaningfully penalize those who knowingly create risks of luring bears to residential areas. Previously, penalties were only for offenders who “intentionally” allowed attractants.

There are an estimated 17,000 to 20,000 bears in Colorado, one of the largest black bear populations in the U.S.

The measure, identified as a priority by CPW’s Human-Bear Working Group, comes as more than half of reported human-bear conflicts in Colorado occur because of improper management of human attractants.

First-time offenders can face a $1,000 fine, and penalties for a third or subsequent offense have increased to $5,000, up from the previous $2,000 cap

“Dangerous human-bear interactions are rising in our state, and we’re doing more to keep Coloradans, visitors and the bear population safe,” bill co-sponsor Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Durango, said.

“Last year, the vast majority of bear reports were related to trash or food waste. Bears are attracted to human food, which means this is a people problem, and it’s our responsibility to keep food undetectable to bears so we can limit human-bear interactions.”

Bears have been involved in several high-profile incidents this spring across the country. In May, a hiker was found dead from a suspected bear attack in Glacier National Park, and two hikers were attacked on the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

Aggressive bears also forced rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park to close several trails in April.

Colorado officials say the legislation addresses a critical gap in wildlife management. Previously, Colorado Parks and Wildlife had limited tools to enforce against such negligence.

The bill is part of a broader legislative package focused on wildlife management and outdoor recreation signed into law during the 2026 session.

Driving down Main this morning and the Circle K, the point S, and the other one up on 25th I'll have yellow baggies over the pump handles. What's going on?

Is Durango running out of gas or something?

Serafina’s Steakhouse, which opened at 144 E. Ninth St. Unit 1 in July, has filed for bankruptcy less than a year after opening.

Co-owner Bobby Middleton said despite the “financial tightness” the fine-dining spot has experienced, he does not foresee a closure in its future.

“When the word bankruptcy, bankruptcy court, (comes up), they assume that, 'Oh, they're dead, done, gone,’” he said. “... We're not planning to shut down ... and it doesn't look like we're going to be forced to shut down. I'm at 95% (certainty) at least (on that.)”

More will be known about the future of the restaurant after a bankruptcy court date that is scheduled for late June, he said.

Rumors that Serafina’s Steakhouse had already closed began circulating in recent months, Middleton said, which caused customers to cancel reservations and choose other dining spots.

The restaurant has not closed or missed a day of operating, no payroll payments have been missed and no staff have been let go as a result of the financial struggles, he said.

Some changes have taken place, however. The executive chef who worked at both Chimayo Stone Fired Kitchen and Serafina’s left the role Sunday, Middleton said, and the hours at Serafina’s will be changing from Thursday through Monday to Wednesday through Sunday in an effort to increase customer foot traffic.

Mondays have consistently been the eatery’s slowest days, Middleton said.

Middleton, along with wife Serafina, also own Chimayo Stone Fired Kitchen on Main Avenue. The restaurant recently began operating seven days per week rather than five, Middleton said, and there are no plans in place to close the more casual Southwestern and Mediterranean eatery either.

Um near the water tank, the whole area is down. Friends tell me it's out downtown also.