M
ancos
GRAND SUMMER NIGHT JUNE 29, JULY 27, AUGUST 31 Gallery walk and carriage rides through historic Mancos. Contact the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce, (970) 533-7434.
MANCOS DAYS July 27- 29 Family fun, parades, softball, music and great food. Contact the Town of Mancos, (970) 533-7725. MANCOS FARMERS MARKET JUNE 14-SEPTEMBER 27 Contact the Town of Mancos, (970) 533-7725.
SUGAR PINE RANCH RALLY SEPTEMBER 1- 3 Motorcycle Rally on Labor Day Weekend. Part of the Four Corners Bike Week celebration, this event includes riders poker runs, music and more. Visit www.sugarpineranchrally.com for information. MANCOS VALLEY-MESA VERDE COUNTRY BALLOON & ARTS FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 28-30 Mass ascensions, balloon glows, rides, vendors and entertainment. The event also includes an arts festival on September 29. Family fun at Boyle Park. Contact (970) 560-0203. Photo courtesy of Lynne Lewis of Rimrock Outfitters.
The Mancos Valley continues a 140-year tradi-
tion as a center of ranching at the edge of the San Juan Mountains. The old West lives on and blends with the new as cowboys lead cattle drives down Main Street and gallery owners open their doors on Grand Avenue. Folks usually discover Mancos on their way to somewhere else, usually Mesa Verde National Park, which is only 6 miles from town. Historic Mancos offers easy access to hiking, biking, fishing and hunting. Discover a town where the “old West meets the new,” where the town retains its pride in history with several buildings on the State and National Historic Registers. The downtown business district offers visitors art galleries, top-notch dining options, as well as a distillery, a coffeehouse and several locally owned motels and B&Bs that all provide a great big dose of Southwestern hospitality. Come and see why Louis L’Amour made the Mancos area his home and the settings for his books. Explore the primal connection between Mancos, the home of the Wetherill family who discovered the mysterious cliff dwellings, and Mesa Verde National Park. Visit the Mancos Valley Chamber website at www. mancosvalley.com; e-mail chamber@mancosvalley.com or call (970) 533-7434. The Chamber is located at 101 E. Bauer, Mancos, CO 81328.
May 13, 2012 • Southwest Colorado Summer Guide 71