La Plata County commissioners have ended Durango Fiesta Days’ long-standing free use of the county fairgrounds.
Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution 2025-28, which removed Fiesta Days from the list of organizations that receive complimentary use of fairgrounds facilities and staff time. The nonprofit, which will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2025, must now pay standard rental fees.
The change follows a complaint from a community member who told a commissioner it was unfair that Fiesta Days received free access while a for-profit rodeo company that runs weekly events from June through mid-August must pay. The for-profit operator is also unable to book the arena during Fiesta Days week, which typically falls in late July.
“The primary concern when making the decision was around parity and whether it made sense to provide free space for what we are charging another vendor for,” said Megan Graham, county spokeswoman. “... We just want to make sure our fee structure is fair to everybody.”
Fiesta Days traces its roots to the former Spanish Trails Fiesta and Navajo Trails Fiesta and once featured large parades, tribal dance exhibitions, street dances, and a wide array of cultural and equestrian events across Durango. But county staff members noted the event has reduced its scope significantly and now consists largely of four days of rodeo events and a vendor village.
Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton noted the event no longer serves as the tri-cultural event it was originally marketed as, which was one of the reasons why previous commissioners granted free usage of the event space.
“There have been many, many chances to rectify this situation,” she said.
If the event returns to its roots, commissioners expressed a willingness to reconsider the decision – including under a future board.
Staff members cited additional reasons for ending the free-use policy, including the reduced scale of the event, safety concerns involving the stock contractor used by Fiesta Days, a lack of staffing provided by organizers and questions about overall professionalism during the 2025 event.
Cindy Brevik, president of Fiesta Days, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
County officials estimate the value of complimentary use and staff time for the 2025 Fiesta Days rodeo events at $14,834. An additional $8,959 was estimated for the Fiesta Days-affiliated fundraising carnival held over Memorial Day weekend, bringing the total to $23,793 in lost revenue this year.
The resolution amends Chapter 38, Article II of the county code, which outlines fee structures and exceptions for fairgrounds use. Other groups – including 4-H, county-funded agencies, search and rescue and youth-serving nonprofits – will continue to qualify for complimentary use. County managers also retain discretion to comp fees for certain community needs, such as disaster relief or holiday meals.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
