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27th ANNUAL

DURANGO AUTUMN ARTS FESTIVAL

Celebrating 27 years of presenting fine art and fine craft by makers from around the country, this festival takes place amid the fall colors on picturesque Second Avenue in historic downtown Durango. The wide avenue, lined with restaurants and a variety of shops, is one block east of Main Avenue and serves as a gathering place for local shoppers, along with the thousands of visitors who fill the town each autumn.

Organized as a benefit event by and for the Durango Arts Center, the festival is a well-loved and -attended community event attracting a large audience throughout the weekend. In 2019, the festival welcomed an estimated 7,000 visitors and nearly as many in 2020 during the pandemic. This year, the festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 18 and 19.

DURANGO FARMERS MARKET

Created on July 27, 1996, the Durango Farmers Market began as a small group of local farmers looking to connect agriculture to community. Originally at Chapman Ski Hill, it now occupies about 45,000 square feet in the TBK Bank parking lot on Ninth Street. The open-air market runs May 8 through Oct. 30 this year. Last year, due to the pandemic, the footprint grew to accommodate social distancing and wash stations. Masks were mandated. This year will be much the same. Live music—a popular mainstay—will return with a special classical presentation from Music in the Mountains on July 24. Popular local musicians will perform as well. Find fresh produce throughout the six months of the market: apricots, beets, cauliflower, edamame, greens, herbs, mushrooms, rhubarb, squash blossoms, and heirloom tomatoes. Also find honey, eggs, cheese, and grass-fed beef, lamb, poultry, and pork. A great part of the experience is the chefs who make their tasty creations with market-procured ingredients—baked goods, smoked meats, coffee and cider, burritos, pizza, stir-fry, mac ’n’ cheese, energy bars, tempeh, breakfast bowls, and smoothies.

Get your knives sharpened, and shop for jewelry and pottery, too. Durango Farmers Market has something for everyone.

Courtesy of Durango Farmers Market

DURANGO HOT SPRINGS RESORT + SPA

Durango Hot Springs Resort + Spa is in the final stages of a redesign and expansion of the historic Trimble Hot Springs, located eight miles north of downtown Durango and 15 miles south of Purgatory Ski Resort in the scenic Animas Valley. The hot springs is the perfect place to soak and listen to live music in the natural-amphitheater setting. Music schedules vary by month and time of day.

Surrounded by mountain views, these natural mineral hot springs are like no other on Earth, with a perfect blend of minerals and the absence of any sulfur odor. The 28 unique thermal mineral water features includes 17 natural mineral hot springs soaking pools, eight private Japanese-inspired cedar soaking tubs, a reflexology walking path, and a mineral water rain tower. Other amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, Finnish dry saunas, and a cold-plunge pool.

The newly renovated Durango Hot Springs Spa combines the benefits of natural mineral hot springs soaking with therapeutic and relaxation massage and a full complement of spa treatments. Food and beverages are available at the hot springs. Open daily from 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. Reservations are required. Reserve online at www.dhsresort.com or call 970-247-0111.

Music in the Mountains, at 35 years, is well known as one of the longest-running classicalmusic festivals in the Southwest. This year’s season presents more than 30 events in three weeks, July 11 through August 1, 2021. With its world-class musicians from all over the country, wearing their famous white tuxedo jackets onstage, the festival is a midsummer delight for music lovers and fans. The season includes several benefit events, classical performances, and pops concerts, as well as intimate chamber performances, in gorgeous venues throughout the region. Some of this year’s highlights include “Bach and Burritos” at River Bend Ranch, “Chocolate Indulgence” at Reising Stage, “Sunday Picnic at the Pond” at LePlatt’s Pond, and a fun kid- friendly hot-dog dinner and concert called “Tyrannosaurus Sue,” at the Community Concert Hall. Savvy festivalgoers take advantage of complimentary pre-concert lectures and a free community concert series presented in parks throughout the region. Your safety continues to be a number-one priority, and the staff at Music in the Mountains is taking all necessary precautions. Please visit www.musicinthemountains.com to learn about the festival schedule, the year-round Music in the Mountains Goes to School program (which reaches thousands of elementary- and secondary-school students in the Four Corners region), and other information.

SILVERTON SUMMER SOUNDS 2021 MUSIC SERIES

Gather the family, load up the car, and head north to Silverton for a magical, high-altitude evening of music under the stars. Now in its fourth season, Silverton Summer Sounds is a free open-air music series hosted by the Town of Silverton. This family-friendly event features libations, food, and live music on the Mike Geryak Sound Stage in Columbine Park. Located at 1239 Blair Street, Columbine Park is ideally situated in the heart of Silverton’s charming downtown district, within an easy stroll of numerous hotels, shops, and restaurants.

Concerts take place at 6 p.m. on the third Friday of the month from June through September, with two musical acts at each show. Among the highcaliber entertainers this summer are Policulture, Whitewater Ramble, Alan Booradley & The Nia, and Arkansauce. A rotating roster of food vendors and breweries makes each evening unique. For the summer 2021 season, all necessary COVID-19 precautions will be taken to ensure a safe, familyfriendly, community event. Mark your calendar now for these four must-see concerts, and visit www.silvertonsummersounds.com for more information.

Courtesy of Silverton Summer Sounds

SOARING TREETOP ADVENTURES

Want a truly “cool” activity to beat the summer heat? Spend your day high up in the alpine forest, amid lush aspen trees and ponderosa pines, in a way that both inspires and takes your breath away. Soaring Tree Top Adventures boasts 27 unique zip-line spans enjoyed by ages 4 to 94. Zip line above the majestic Animas River and through lush mountain forest scenery, then stop to take in the cool expanse with a four-course gourmet lunch served in the trees. Your adventure continues into the afternoon with more zip-line thrills crossing the Animas River. Set on 180 private acres north of Durango, this alpine retreat is only accessible via the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, providing guests with two unique adventures in one package. Beat the heat and hop on Soaring’s private first-class train cars for an adventure like no other. Your train ride is included in the rate. This unique tour operates mid-May through October. Reservations required: 970-769-2357 or online at www.soaringcolorado.com.