The annual Snowdown Light Parade starts Friday night, but roads and streets downtown will close much earlier in the lead up to the final weekend of Peace, Love and Snowdown.

Parade coordinator Chip Lile said 65 floats are in the parade lineup this year, but he isn’t sure how many individual participants will be present. He expects the parade to last about an hour.

“I think this year has been a great year,” he said. “All the events have been really successful in both the attendance and it seems like everyone's having a lot of fun.”

The parade route extends down Main Avenue from College Drive to 14th Street.

At 1:30 p.m. Friday, Fifth Street from Main Avenue to Park Elementary School will close, a city news release says.

Likewise, traffic will be prohibited on Main Avenue from Fifth to 14th streets starting at 2:30 p.m. The city advises people to move their vehicles parked in private lots on adjacent streets (Seventh through 12th streets) before that time.

Through-traffic will be allowed on College Drive until 5 p.m., although turns onto Main Avenue will not be allowed.

Parking also won’t be allowed in private lots, including the Town Plaza and Albertson’s parking lots, the release says.

“No parking” signs will be posted on parking meters prior to the road closures.

“Vehicles inside the closure areas at the time of the parking closure will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense,” the release says.

Parking will be available at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, and a free shuttle to and from the Durango Transit Center at 250 West Eighth Street will be available from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The city is also offering free bus rides through its public transit system through Saturday, according to a Durango Business Improvement District newsletter.

The city acquired new traffic barricades that will be deployed for the Snowdown Light Parade as well.

According to Durango Police Commander Nick Stasi, the 700 pound barricades can stop a vehicle traveling 25 to 30 mph.

“The barricades are designed to stop cars or trucks from entering any sort of closure area and can easily be moved and placed by one person,” he says in the release.

The barricades will be placed at cross streets along the Main Avenue parade route.

The city bought the barricades in addition to a hydraulic trailer for about $100,000 funded by the lodgers tax and approved by Durango City Council, the release says. City Council will be asked to approve an additional eight barricades with 2024 lodgers tax funds.

The barricades aren’t replacing older barricades used by the city, but instead will be used in conjunction with old equipment at future parades and events necessitating road closures.

The Snowdown Light Parade is “Durango’s only nighttime parade where lit floats cover Main Avenue,” according to the Snowdown website.

In line with the hippy, free love and peace theme of this year’s Snowdown, parade goers can expect to see plenty of “vibrant colors, peace symbols, tie-dye, and flower power motifs for everyone to enjoy,” plus groovy music to dance to, the site says.

Participants in the parade have the chance to win prizes in several categories:

Lile said the parade may be rescheduled in case it rains or snows, but contingencies are place and he doesn’t expect any weather-related issues.

The National Weather Service says there is a 100% chance of snow Thursday evening and Friday, and it’s possible Durango receives rain before snow. Through the weekend, the San Juan Mountains could receive up to 2 feet of snow through Saturday.

But National Weather Service Meteorologist Matthew Aleksa said the weekend storm will only bring between 2 and 5 inches of snow to Durango.

“It's just a parade to celebrate Snowdown and just the front of wintertime and everybody's welcome to attend,” Lile said. “ … In spite of weather, we should be good to go. Everything should be fun.”

cburney@durangoherald.com