Independence Day, Durango style
Pancake breakfasts and historical readings, patriotic parade floats, kids games galore, country music, a Main Avenue street dance and a booming fireworks display. Whew. Downtown Durango will be stuffed with Independence Day events this Fourth of July. The festivities get going today at 7:30 a.m. with the All American Gourmet Breakfast at Rotary Park, followed by the Freedom 5K fun run (free and open to all ages), which starts at Rotary Park at 9 a.m. Fort Lewis College representatives will provide a short history lesson at 11 a.m. with a public reading of founding documents at Buckley Park, which will be followed by a Family Fun Picnic and Kids Flea Market at noon, also in the park. The Durango Elks Lodge will offer another lunch option with the Family Barbecue at noon at 901 East Second Ave., and the party will move downtown at 6 p.m. with an expanded Stars & Stripes Parade (featuring more than 40 entries). Immediately on the heels of the parade, the Street Dance on Main Avenue will commence, with music provided by country band The Hi-Rollers. The dance will wrap up by 9 p.m. so everyone can rush off to their viewing spot for The Salute to America fireworks display, which will be hosted by the City of Durango and the Durango Fire Protection District. The light show is scheduled to blast off at 9:15 p.m. Got all that? Visit www.durango.org or www.downtowndurango.org for more info.
Classic rock on a rooftop
Thirty years ago in San Francisco, guitarist Larry Carver started a band called Void Where Prohibited with vocalist Eric Montizambert. After playing their brand of high energy classic rock covers for two decades in the Bay Area, Carver said goodbye in 2003 when he moved to Durango. Despite the distance, the band didn’t call it quits – instead, Void Where Prohibited has been rendezvousing in Durango once a summer to play live music. This year’s reunion, happily, coincides with the Fourth of July in Durango. Void Where Prohibited will play a free show at the Balcony Bar and Grill, 600 Main Ave., at 6 p.m. today, with a break to view the fireworks. “It’s the best place to be on a hot summer night in Durango,” Carver said. “It’s also the best place to see the fireworks.” The band plays classic rock from the ’60s to the ’90s, covering the music of bands like ZZ Top, The Doors, The Beatles, Tom Petty and The Stones – or, as Carver puts it, “all of our favorite songs.”
Full on this Fourth of July
Durango isn’t the only place that will be brimming with events this Fourth of July weekend. For those who want to get out of town for the holiday, Vallecito, Bayfield and Silverton will all host a number festivities. Arts and crafts? Vallecito’s on it. Pet parade? Check out Bayfield. Rhubarb and ice cream? Silverton’s got you covered. See the full schedule below, and remember: always use caution when mixing patriotism, alcohol and fireworks.
Silverton
All events will take place on July 4. For more information, visit http://silvertoncolorado.com.
Blue Ribbon Run 2k, 5k and 10k, 8 a.m., starts and finishes in Memorial Park.
Parade, 10:30 a.m., Greene and Blair streets.
Fireman Water Fight, immediately following the parade, Greene Street.
Old Fashion Picnic, immediately following the water fight, The American Legion, 414 Greene St.
Brass Band in the Park, noon-1 p.m., Memorial Park.
Ducky Derby, 2 p.m., Cement Creek at Memorial Park.
Rhubarb Festival and Ice Cream Social, noon-3 p.m., Memorial Park.
Fireworks display, approximately 9 p.m., the display is usually set off from the Shrine.
Vallecito
For more information, visit www.vallecitolakechamber.com.
Mild to Wild, 7 p.m., July 4, Vallecito Resort, 13030 County Road 501.
Annual Arts & Craft Fair, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., July 5 and 6, located in meadow below Vallecito Dam.
The Scrugglers, 6 p.m., July 5, Schank House Bar & Grill, 17460 County Road 501.
Fireworks display, dusk on July 5, over Vallecito Lake.
Bayfield
All events take place July 4. For more information, call 884-9544 or visit www.bayfieldgov.org.
Bayfield Lion’s Club Pancake Breakfast, 7-10 a.m., Bayfield Lions Hall, 451 Church St.
Firecracker 5K and Family Walk, 7:30 a.m., Mill Street.
Calvary Presbyterian Church Pie and Craft Sale, 8 a.m., 89 E. Mill St.
Pet Parade, 9:45 a.m., Mill Street.
The Bayfield 4th of July Parade, 10 a.m., Mill Street.
Wild Country, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Joe Stephenson Park.
The Serrano’s Annual Horseshoe Tournament, noon, Eagle Park.
Parks & Recreation’s fifth annual Coed One-Pitch Softball Tournament, 1 p.m., ball fields at Joe Stephenson Park.
Kids’ carnival and activities, dunk tank, food, and vendors, immediately following the parade, Joe Stephenson Park.
Carbon Red, 7-9 p.m., Joe Stephenson Park.
Fireworks display, dusk, Joe Stephenson Park.
