Another Snowdown has come and gone, leaving locals lethargic, bartenders beat, servers sluggish and revelers fried.

Now 34 years old, the event continues to attract people to downtown and spark business during the winter season.

“I really think it helps everybody out, us, the Ranch, Pongas, even McDonald's,” said Ann Morse, owner of the Lost Dog Bar & Lounge.

The mini-golf tournament was a highlight for Morse, who hosted an after-party at the Lost Dog.

“It helps so many businesses,” she said. “Let's say there's 18 holes. That's 18 businesses with maybe 100 extra people coming through.” Morse said Snowdown is her busiest week of the year.

Not only was the parade this year's best event, said Jess Phillips, assistant manager of Animas Trading Co., but it also brought lots of business.

“Our biggest day was Friday,” Phillips said.

The shop sold hats, wigs, glasses and other accessories.

Fairy wings and Mad Hatter hats, complete with built-in hair were popular, Phillips said.

“There's only one left, and we had a ton,” she said of the hats.

The festival helped give business a boost after a slow January, she said.

Silk Sparrow sold Snowdown-themed costumes for the first time, said employee Victoria Newnham.

“I don't think people really knew because we only had them out in the window for like a week,” Newnham said.

Though Snowdown didn't offer Silk Sparrow much of a pop in business, some costumes were popular.

“I saw a lot of Snow Whites downtown,” said employee Gina Gates.

As for the theme, Gates and Newnham had fun with the fairy-tale idea, but noted that fewer people seemed to be dressed up.

“I loved the theme, it was my dream theme,” said Gates.

Phillips also thought the theme worked nicely, as it was “all-encompassing.”

Fairies were extremely popular this year, said Newnham, who went to more concerts than daytime Snowdown events.

Other favorite costumes included three flying pigs, a few Tweedle Dees and Tweedle Dums, the entire cast of “The Wizard of Oz,” Humpty Dumpty, a unicorn, and a heard of sheep complete with one black sheep and a male Mary.

One of the most memorable costumes was a knight made completely out of Ska Brewing Co. beer cans dueling with another knight wearing Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans, said Kristen Muraro, events coordinator for Ska.

Even though Ska isn't located downtown, Snowdown still brought a lot of business, Muraro said.

The day before Ska's punk-rock breakfast at the Lost Dog, Ska employees received a call informing them that the Lost Dog already had sold all the Ska beer intended for the next day's breakfast, she said.

“I wasn't sure with Super Bowl Sunday, but a lot of people still showed up,” Muraro said of the punk-rock breakfast, one of a final few events.

Other Snowdown events Sunday included the La Plata County Search and Rescue Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, a Snowdown Balloon Rally at Red Rock Ranch, the final 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament games and the Snowdown 9-Ball Pool Tournament at El Rancho Tavern.

With the fun in hibernation for another year, Snowdown devotees can start geeking out on next year's theme, iSnowdown 2.0.13 “Get Your Geek On!”

scook@durangoherald.com