Community events | KDUR Community Radio

Summer Melodrama returns to the Durango Arts Center with The Notorious Nugget, July 10-13, and July 16-19. This original musical melodrama set in 1914, in Colorado is written by Colorado Springs playwrights Mark and Lauren Arnest. It’s a spirited western romp that follows young Buck Worthington as he chases gold — and stumbles into a web of romance, villainy, and small-town intrigue. Appropriate for audiences 16 and older. Tickets are online at www.durangoart.org and in person from noon - 6 pm, Tuesday - Saturday at the DAC.

The Animas Valley Grange will host a presentation by Ruth E. Lambert, a local archaeologist and historian, at 6:30 pm on July 20, 2026. She will give a photo presentation “Looking Back at La Plata County and the Animas Valley Area in 1876.” Using historic and current day photos we will discuss the history of our County and Valley. Come and join us as we celebrate the Nation’s 250th and Colorado’s 150th Birthdays. This event will be held at the Animas Valley Grange Hall, 7271 County Road 203. The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at 6:15 pm. For further information, please contact Marie at 970-382-1217.

Durango Public Library 1900 E 3rd Avenue Durango, CO 81301 Phone: 970-375-3380 https://www.durangogov.org/library FREE Great Garden Series: Native Trees and Shrubs of Colorado Wednesday, July 22 4:30pm - 6:00pm Learn about the depth and breadth of native woody plant species that exist in Colorado. Jennifer Bousselot, Associate Professor of Horticulture, Colorado State University, will talk about the latest edition of the Trees and Shrubs of Colorado published by the Colorado Native Plant Society..

The Wildwood Dance Project is holding video auditions for their Youth Company & Summer Dance Intensive, to be held July 27–August 1, 2026. The Youth Company & Summer Intensive is designed for high school dancers entering 9th grade through 2026 graduates who are ready to move beyond training and into dance performance on film. This week-long intensive offers the opportunity to join Wildwood's Youth Company and be invited to participate in cinematic dance film projects throughout the year. The summer intensive culminates in a day of filming dance on location. Dancers will gain real-world experience as featured performers, build professional credits, and work alongside industry professionals—all while elevating their technique and résumé. Financial scholarships are available for the Summer Intensive. Don’t just train this summer—create. Visit www.wildwooddanceproject.com for video audition details, filming schedules, and location information

Written in Stone: A Life in Paleontology Thursday, July 30 6:00pm - 7:30pm Join local Paleontologist John Hankla as he shares how scientists decode Earth’s ancient past by interpreting fossils and rock layers like pages in a book, revealing dinosaurs, ancient ecosystems, and the story of deep time.

Durango Public Library 1900 E 3rd Avenue Durango, CO 81301 Phone: 970-375-3380 https://www.durangogov.org/library FREE

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

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.

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!