Durango - The Durango Herald

Photo: Ska Brewing to unveil new Snowdown Ale

Get peachy with the official 2024 Snowdown beer; Release party will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday

DATE: Dec 19, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango seeks public feedback about cycling improvements for Roosa Avenue

City exploring two alternative designs for uphill cycling lane

DATE: Dec 19, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Tailwind Nutrition donates hydration product to La Plata County first responders

Roughly 25 to 30 cases donated to local fire departments and athletic teams

DATE: Dec 19, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango man launches towing company

Wayne’s Towing & Transport LLC started in late July, according to Better Business Bureau

DATE: Dec 18, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango family has built special little ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ tree over time

Red ball ornaments, candy canes and other decorations hang delicately on the pine branches in north Durango

DATE: Dec 17, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Shopping local for the holidays: This year’s season breaks records

National holiday spending predicted to hit more than $950 billion between November and December; Durango BID’s Holiday Rewards Program records $172,000 in local sales

DATE: Dec 16, 2023 | CATEGORY: Business

A sip of McCardell’s Private Reserve

Durango Craft Spirits releases limited small-batch single malt whiskey

DATE: Dec 16, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango passenger receives mixed answers about United Airlines flight delay

Explanations included weather conditions, technical issues and de-icing shortage

DATE: Dec 15, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Animas High School wins ‘Performance with Distinction’ award

School treasurer says new school building has helped with enrollment

DATE: Dec 15, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Back-and-forths about city business revealed in Simpson-Bosmans emails

City accuses councilor and resident of open records violations

DATE: Dec 14, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango’s Lanny Barnes wins gold medal at the Shotgun World Shoot

Barnes competed in Thailand last week

DATE: Dec 14, 2023 | CATEGORY: Sports

Making it work in Durango

In an expensive community, how and why do low-wage earners make it work?

DATE: Dec 13, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Colorado history gets weird, wild, wacky at Fashion Do’s and Don’tsAnnual Snowdown event has become so popular, auditions are now required

Cowboys. Fancy ladies. Gold miners. Even-toed ungulates that some in Durango might consider more like rats.Where can you find a runway show that takes you on a whirlwind tour through the weird, wacky and wildly exaggerated 150 years of Colorado history? Only at Durango’s annual Fashion Do’s and Don’ts, held Wednesday, where models and audience members donned costumes celebrating Colorado’s sesquicentennial – the theme of this year’s two-week Snowdown celebration.Standout acts included the Ghosts of Durango, which featured four of Durango’s most famous ghosts: a Rochester hotel ghost in a Victorian get-up of a more “modern” variation; the Strater Hotel’s head of housekeeping, also head of more discreet services; a young girl haunting El Rancho bathroom; and Sheriff Bob Thompson, killed in a 1906 gunfight. according to emcee Suzan Lane. A Another act was the secret circus society, featuring Rubi Starr, Jeni Gross, Tabatha Joy Bettin, Adrienne Young and Ethan Deffenbaugh dressed as a car and the roadside pests better known as deer. Group members said the inspiration for the costume came from lived experiences driving the Durango roads. The two-person Cantine Couture act starred Leslie Ponce and Tyler Frakes in an homage to the plentiful variety of Mexican restaurants found in any Colorado town. Ponce, dressed in comically large Mexican pointy cowboy boots, ambled down the runway as if taking a stroll under the hot, dusty, high-altitude sun, while Frakes flitted about the stage in a bright yellow salsa dress. Ponce said this years costume had been tough to decide, but the final decision was inspired by TikTok videos of Mexican cowboys in pointy boots. This was the duo’s third year strutting down the runway. Why they keep coming back for more, Frakes said laughing, was, “for the fame, the glory and the attention.”

Fashion Do’s and Don'ts has been one of the most highly anticipated Snowdown events since it’s inception in the 1990s. It has more than doubled in size over the past several decades. Last year, there were a record number of models, and in order to keep the event at a manageable size, this years fashion show was the first one to require the acts to audition. But many of the models were unphased by the change. “It was actually easy,” said Jodi Zuber, one part of the two-person duo that made up the 1950s Texas Invader Ski Couple. Her partner-in-costume, Danny Jaques, said they had been doing this for several years, and it’s good with everything going on in the world to “get some levity and let your hair down.” The performers were not the only ones in costume. Audience members also dressed in a wide variety of unique takes on what makes Colorado, Colorado. JonBenet Ramsey made a miraculous appearance, being played by an 82-year-old woman, as did Casa Bonita, an ensemble that included a taco, sopaipilla and gorilla in chains – to name some of the characters. By the end of the show, people were in high spirits, as usual. “It was just delightful,” said a first-time audience member. If blessed with the chance to get the much coveted tickets – he said he would jump on it. jbowman@durangoherald.com

Annual Snowdown event has become so popular, auditions are now required

Photos: Snowdown 2026 Fashion Do’s and Don’ts

Photos: Durango High School basketball teams lose to Montrose High School

Photos: Local girls high school wrestling at La Plata TriDurango girls wrestling went 2-0 to win Tri on Thursday night at Bayfield

Durango girls wrestling went 2-0 to win Tri on Thursday night at Bayfield

Photos: Fort Lewis College women’s and men’s basketball take on Westminster UniversityBoth Skyhawks teams were victorious on Saturday afternoon

Both Skyhawks teams were victorious on Saturday afternoon

Photos: An afternoon in 2004 with the late Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell as he works on Capitol HillDurango Herald Photo Editor Jerry McBride had the chance to spend an afternoon with the late Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell in 2004, photographing him during meetings and around the Capitol.

Durango Herald Photo Editor Jerry McBride had the chance to spend an afternoon with the late Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell in 2004, photographing him during meetings and around the Capitol.

Photos and video: ICE protests return to DurangoAbout a dozen protesters tried to block federal agents from leaving with a detainee on Thursday

About a dozen protesters tried to block federal agents from leaving with a detainee on Thursday

The Durango Herald’s year in photos 2025

Photos: Chapman Hill fires up the snow guns

Photo: Ska Brewing to unveil new Snowdown Ale

Durango seeks public feedback about cycling improvements for Roosa Avenue

Tailwind Nutrition donates hydration product to La Plata County first responders

Durango man launches towing company

Durango family has built special little ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ tree over time

Shopping local for the holidays: This year’s season breaks records

A sip of McCardell’s Private Reserve

Durango passenger receives mixed answers about United Airlines flight delay

Animas High School wins ‘Performance with Distinction’ award

Back-and-forths about city business revealed in Simpson-Bosmans emails

Durango’s Lanny Barnes wins gold medal at the Shotgun World Shoot

Making it work in Durango

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