PURGATORY – OK, all you Snowdown Rock ‘N’ Rollers. Get ready to exchange your guitars and drumsticks for magic wands and broomsticks.
The theme for Snowdown 2021 was announced Sunday at the first Snowdown Opening Ceremony held at Purgatory Resort. The ceremony included a skier parade and the lighting of the official Snowdown Ceremonial Cauldron/Barbecue Grill, the first time a Snowdown has had Ceremonial Cauldron/Barbecue Grill to mark it’s opening.
“A Magical Mystical Snowdown: We Put a Spell on You,” was announced as the 2021 Snowdown theme.
“Think of Harry Potter, Gandalf, witches, good witches and evil witches, and fairies,: said Dawn James-Staten, vice president of the Snowdown board of directors, at the Opening Ceremony held on Purgy’s deck.
Snowdown 2020 “A Rockin’ Snowdown” is the 42nd Snowdown, noted Opening Ceremony DJ Cody Hopp, who made a plea for help in suggesting future Snowdown themes.
Anyone can submit their suggestion for a future Snowdown theme at Magpies, 707 Main Ave., during the festival.
“It’s getting harder and harder to find a good theme. We’ve had so many Snowdowns,” Hopp told a crowd of about 70 gathered for the lighting of the cauldron/grill and other Opening Ceremony festivities.
Collin Crowdes, son of Chip Lile, president of the Snowdown board of directors, was given the honor of lighting the cauldron/barbecue grill.
Hopp also informed the crowd that Wilder, the mythical half-goat, half-yeti creature created by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to promote outdoor recreation among kids, will attend the Snowdown Light Parade.
Free transportation that will be available all day Friday, the day of the Light Parade, which will get underway at dusk on Main Avenue and run from College Drive to 12th Street.
Free transportation will include shuttle service from the La Plata County Fairgrounds and Three Springs to minimize downtown congestion.
Hopp announced 162 different Snowdown events will be offered this year, and 51 of them are deemed family-friendly.
Events will begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. with the Snowdown Rockin’ Scavenger Hunt at the Billy Goat Saloon, 39848 U.S. Highway 160, and with a Super Bowl party on Sunday, Feb. 2, at Derailed Pour House, 725 Main and at 4 p.m. with the Awards Ceremony for the Build a Bong contest at Prohibition Herb, 1185 Camino del Rio.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect date for the Snowdown Light Parade.
Poll: Do you like the theme selected for Snowdown 2021: “A Magical Mystical Snowdown: We Put a Spell on You”?
Yes - 499 - 49.85%
No - 502 - 50.15%
