Thousands gathered on the sidewalks of downtown Main Avenue in Durango on Friday for the annual Snowdown Light Parade.
Chip Lile, president of the Snowdown board of directors, said the parade this year had the most float sign-ups in the festival’s history.
About 65 floats, including semi-trailers, old school Volkswagen buggies and campers, cruised up Main Avenue blasting funky classics such as KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It).”
The “Peace, Love and Snowdown” theme of the 45th anniversary Snowdown winter festival came across loud and clear at the parade.
Grizz Jim, a Durango resident, said on Friday even though he didn’t dress in line with the hippie, free love theme of Snowdown 2024, he was digging the vibes at the parade.
“There’s a lot of people out,” he said. “Everybody’s having fun. I like it.”
Lile said Snowdown is a “microcosm” of fun.
“Everyone kind of comes together for the same thing, which doesn’t happen very often. It’s a pretty uniting event, I think, in our community,” he said. “Whether you’re young or a visitor or local, or you go to this church or that school – whatever the case may be – it seems like everybody participates.”
He gave kudos to the city and community members for putting the parade on.
Handling the logistics of a parade, from security to managing volunteers, is a mighty task to tango with.
“There’s so many people with the city, and Snowdown volunteers, and mountain rangers, and you know, the little team I have that helps me directly with the floats – there’s just so many people. From dispatch all the way down to like the guy that sweeps the street at the end,” he said. “Everybody in Durango helps somehow to make the parade happen.”
He supposed the weather could have dissuaded some people from going to the parade.
Lile said he became the Snowdown board president about 11 years ago. When he first joined the board, his top priority was supporting the yearly parade.
“They’re counting on us to do a good parade and do a safe parade and get a lot of people downtown and do safe events,” he said.
“Board games” is the working concept for the next Snowdown festival.
The Snowdown board is already getting feedback about the theme, which helps the organization curate the best event possible.
“I always like to thank everybody that volunteers for Snowdown, everyone that supports Snowdown in whatever way they do in our community. I really believe this is one of those events that makes Durango so special,” he said. “Events like this are what we all should support, and (they) make Durango really special.”
cburney@durangoherald.com
