Community events | KDUR Community Radio

LPEA at the La Plata County Fair August 6 and 7, 10 AM to 4PM La Plata Electric will host a STEM booth in the Educational Hall at the La Plata County Fair. Members are invited to stop by for hands-on activities, energy education, and opportunities to connect with your local electric cooperative. Youth can build solar-powered robots and participate in interactive learning experiences that explore engineering, electricity, and renewable energy. https://lpea.coop/events/la-plata-county-fair-lpea-stem-activity-booth-0

Grand opening of the newest addition to the "Moments That Made US" exhibit in the Ballantine Gallery at the Animas Museum on Saturday, August 8th! "Crossroads" looks at how the topology of the land in La Plata County contributed to westward expansion, economic growth, cultural exchange, and displacement and how this region has contributed to the evolving American story. At 1p.m., Robert McDaniel will be presenting "A Bold Thrust for a Dying Empire - The Dominguez and Escalante Expedition of 1776" on the 250th anniversary of the day that the Spanish explorers were in our area. Part of our Second Saturday Seminar Series, join us in the classroom at the Museum live or on Zoom. There is no charge for this program which will be recorded. Register for a Zoom link on the Events page of our website animasmuseum.org. Contact info@animasmuseum.org with questions.

Denkai Animal Sanctuary Invites Community to “Paws on the Patio” Fundraising Event DURANGO, Colo. — Denkai Animal Sanctuary is inviting the community to enjoy an afternoon of coffee, adoptable pets, and community connection during its upcoming Paws on the Patio fundraising event on Wednesday, August 12, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at The Rochester Hotel Patio in downtown Durango. The event is designed to bring animal lovers together while raising critical funds to support Denkai’s lifesaving rescue efforts and affordable veterinary services throughout Southwest Colorado and the Four Corners region. Guests will enjoy a relaxed afternoon featuring a coffee station, opportunities to meet adoptable pets, a complimentary pet treat bag, entry into a drawing for a Carver Brewing Company gift basket, and the chance to leave a permanent paw print on Denkai’s future Clinic Wall. Tickets are $25 per person, with proceeds directly supporting medical care, food, shelter, and rehabilitation for animals in need. “Every ticket purchased helps provide a second chance for animals who have nowhere else to turn,” said Denkai Animal Sanctuary Founder Floss Blackburn. “Whether you’re looking to adopt, support local rescue efforts, or simply spend a wonderful afternoon with fellow animal lovers, we’d love to have you join us.” Tickets are limited and advance reservations are encouraged. Event Details Paws on the Patio Date: Wednesday, August 12 Time: 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Location: The Rochester Hotel Patio 726 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 For reservations or additional information: 📧 jennefer1969@gmail.com About Denkai Animal Sanctuary Founded in 2004, Denkai Animal Sanctuary is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to animal rescue, affordable veterinary care, and outreach throughout the Four Corners region. Since its founding, Denkai has helped more than 40,000 animals through rescue, adoption, sanctuary, and accessible veterinary services, ensuring that families can keep their beloved pets healthy regardless of financial circumstances. www.denkaisanctuary.org Contact Floss Blackburn 970-217-1457 or info at denkaisanctuary.org

The Durango Arts Center presents the darkly hilarious play The Minutes, by Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts. Cast with local actors, this Durango Arts Repertory Theater production looks at origin stories and beliefs, and is suggested for mature audiences. Shows run Friday - Monday, August 14-17 and Thursday - Sunday August 20-23. Times and tickets are online at durango arts dot org or in the gallery Tuesday - Saturday noon - 6pm. Phone orders can be placed by calling 970-259-26060x 2 during business hours.

Durango Nordic & DEVO Mountain Bike Biathlon. 8/15/2026 - 8:30am-1pm. $10 kids & $20 adults. Durango Nordic is teaming up with Durango DEVO to host Durango’s first ever mountain bike biathlon event on Saturday August 15th. No experience necessary to participate but plan on learning a cool new sport and having a blast! BYOBike required and laser biathlon rifles will be provided. This event will be held at the FLC Factory Trails surrounding Animas High School. Each race will be a mass start by age group, consisting of bike lap-shoot-bike lap-shoot-bike lap. Any missed shots will require a short penalty lap to be ridden. The total race length will be about 15 minutes of riding time, so the laps will be about 5 minutes each. First person across the finish line wins the race, so ride fast and try not to miss any shots since the penalty laps will make your race longer. Proceeds benefit Durango Nordic & Durango DEVO. Learn more at Durango Nordic at durangonordic.org/events or email us at info@durangonordic.org.

FREE Book Club: Speculative Fiction: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Post-apocalyptic, and More! Tuesday, August 18 6:00pm - 7:30pm Join us at Bread Downtown (135 E 8th St) for a "nontraditional" book club, where the discussion is based on a genre/topic rather than a specific book- no required reading! Join us for a "nontraditional" book club, where the discussion is based on a genre/topic rather than a specific book! Let's talk about our favorite titles in this "otherworldly" genre that includes: Science Fiction Fantasy Horror Dystopian & Utopian Magical Realism

ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22^ND BEGINNING AT 2 P.M. DURANGO NATURAL FOODS WILL HOST THEIR HARVEST FESTIVAL. THIS FREE EVENT FEATURES LIVE MUSIC, LOCAL VENDORS, KIDS ACTIVITIES AND MORE.

THE FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN BUCKLEY PARK IN DOWNTOWN DURANGO.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO VOLUNTEER VISIT WWW.DURANGONATURALFOODS.COOP/HARVESTFEST

Following your Passion: A Woman’s Fly-fishing Journey" Wednesday, August 26 6:30-8:00 p.m. Center of Southwest Studies - Lyceum (room 120) Free + Open to All! Contact: Cristie Scott, cmscott@fortlewis.edu, 970-247-7333 swcenter.fortlewis.edu *Hosted by the Center of Southwest Studies* Librarian by trade and angler at heart, Shelley Walchak gravitated towards fly-fishing later in life and was inspired in 2012 to leave her post at the Colorado State Library to take up the challenge of fishing a river a week for an entire year. Seven Rocky Mountain states and 52 rivers later, Shelley released her book "52 Rivers" in 2014 documenting her adventures and the life-lessons along the way. Now, over a decade later, Shelley is still traveling and angling and is ready to share an epilogue to 52 Rivers, which at its core is about chasing dreams, embracing the unknown, and finding inner joy along the way. Shelley Walchak retired from 40 years of librarian service, including past director of the Pine River Library District (Bayfield, CO) and senior consultant with the Colorado State Library (Denver, CO). She currently serves as board secretary to the Maria’s Literary Foundation, as well as board President of the Southwest Colorado Humanities Roundtable History Live! event series and still travels and fishes every chance she gets.

Deadly Fun Learning: Mysteries that Champion Our National Parks" Wednesday, September 2, 2026 6:30-7:30 p.m. Center of Southwest Studies - Lyceum (Room 120) Free + Open to All Contact: Cristie Scott, cmscott@fortlewis.edu, 970-247-7333 https://tinyurl.com/CSWS-Upcoming-Events Scott Graham, National Outdoor Book Award-winning author of the National Park Mystery Series, will share the writing and development over the last decade of his successful National Park Mystery Series, published by nonprofit environmental and social justice publisher Torrey House Press. Newly released book ten in the series is GREAT SAND DUNES MASSACRE, set in southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Book nine in the series, DEATH VALLEY DUEL, was a finalist for the 2025 Colorado Book Award. It features a villainous ultra-trail race across the Mojave Desert based in part on the annual Hardrock 100 ultra-trail race in Silverton. Scott is based in Durango, CO and, in addition to a thriving writing career, is an avid outdoorsman and advocate for public lands. In addition to his mysteries, Scott is the author of five nonfiction books, including Extreme Kids, and winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Scott has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, radio disk jockey, and coal-shoveling fireman on the steam-powered Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This is a featured event of the 2026 Southwest Colorado Humanities Roundtable History Live!