Durango’s best bets for the weekend are Bayfield Heritage Days on Friday and Saturday and events for National Public Lands Day on Saturday.
A seasonal celebration for area ranchers, Bayfield Heritage Days and Sheep Trailing originates from the Lasater family, which brought its sheep in from the high country every fall for years. The family started the event in 2000 to commemorate the rural lifestyle in Bayfield. In 2010, the Brown family took over, and with help from community volunteers, it continues to hold the event, which is now in its 18th year.
The event will start Friday evening with food and performances by Agave and The Bar-D Wranglers. The “running of the sheep” will be held Saturday and include a 5K run with sheep down Buck Highway, followed by a parade on Mill Street. Participants are asked to leave dogs at home.
For tickets and more information, call Tony at 884-7636 or visit www.bayfieldcoheritagedays.org.
National Public Lands Day, the largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States, is Saturday. The observance aims to connect people with public lands, inspire environmental stewardship and give people incentives to use public lands for education, recreation and overall health benefits.
Admission to all federal public lands and select state parks will be free Saturday. Additionally, volunteer projects will be held in the area to benefit public lands.
San Juan Mountains Association and Bureau of Land Management Tres Rios Field Office will hold an event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mud Springs, located about six miles southwest of Cortez. Volunteers will perform cleanup operations, clear trails and install signs. Participants will be provided lunch and a free shirt. For more information, call Kathe Hayes at 385-1310 or email kathe@sjma.org.
Trails 2000, Osprey Packs and Keep It Wild will host trail work from 8 a.m. to noon at Overend Mountain Park in Durango. Volunteers will meet at Hidden Valley Trailhead, 915 Hidden Valley Circle, to conduct a series of projects. For more information, visit www.trails2000.org/2017/09/overend-sept30.
For more about National Public Lands Day, visit www.neefusa.org/public-lands-day.
Skyhawks women’s soccer: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs vs. Fort Lewis College, 3 p.m., Fort Lewis College, Dirks Field, 1000 Rim Drive.
Bayfield Heritage Days kickoff dinner, 5:30 p.m., $20, Bayfield Community Gym, 658 S. East St., Bayfield.
Bayfield Heritage Days and Sheep Trailing, all-day event, Joe Stephenson Park, 1199 Bayfield Parkway.
World War I presentation by Andrew Gulliford, 1 p.m., Animas Museum, 3065 West Second Ave., 259-2402.
Skyhawks women’s soccer: Western State University vs. Fort Lewis College, noon, Fort Lewis College, Dirks Field, 1000 Rim Drive.
Skyhawks men’s soccer: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs vs. Fort Lewis College, 2:30 p.m., Fort Lewis College, Dirks Field, 1000 Rim Drive.
