Community events | KDUR Community Radio

The Narrow Gauge Races With 3 races to choose from 10 mile, 5k and children's 1 mile fun run Will take place on Sunday May 24th, Memorial Day Weekend. Since 1978, the Narrow Gauge 10 Mile Run has been one of Durango's oldest Memorial Day traditions. This year, we're back at beautiful Santa Rita Park along the Animas River. We are excited to announce our beneficiaries of the races this year are The Fort Lewis College and Durango High School Track and Cross Country Teams as well as The Liberty School and Animas High School.. Entrie fee for the 10 Miler is $80, the 5k is $54 and the kid's Fun run is free. Put on by the Durango Running Club. Registration can be found at https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/Durango/NarrowGauge Race Director Victor Ruggiero 303 748 2562

ON SATURDAY MAY 30^TH BEGINNING AT 8 A.M. HILLCREST GOLF COURSE WILL HOST A GOLF TOURNAMENT.

“THE D-H-S FOOTBALL GOLF CLASSIC” WILL BENEFIT THE DURANGO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM.

THE ENTRY FEE WILL COVER GREEN FEES, GOLF CART RENTAL, LUNCH AND MORE.

TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.hillcrestgolf.com

 Rebate and Energy Help Sessions Get one-on-one guidance from our energy experts! We're excited to support your plans and your budget in 2026 with answers for your energy-use questions and help with getting the most value from our rebate options this year. Thursday, June 11, 2026 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM The Community Room at the Ignacio Library FREE La Plata Electric https://lpea.coop/events/office-hours-rebate-and-energy-help-session-ignacio-library

Mancos BurroFest Birthday Bash 2026 Hosted by the Mancos Creative District, BurroFest celebrates the spirited nature of burros through art and interaction. The 2026 event is a "Burro Birthday Bash" honoring Colorado's 150th anniversary, with a themed obstacle course representing state history. Attendees can enjoy live art demonstrations, costumed burros, and educational exhibits. The festivities begin on June 20th at 10:00 AM, followed by the obstacle course at 10:30 AM and the Beverage Pasture opening at noon. This is a free event hosted on Grand Avenue in Mancos, Colorado. https://burrofest.com/ events@mancoscreativedistrict.com

Summer Solstice Window Viewing & Sunrise Cyanotypes" Hosted by the Center of Southwest Studies Sunday, June 21, 2026 5:45 –7:30 a.m. CSWS Gallery Free + Open to All Light refreshments provided Parking on campus is free during the summer, May to August. Contact: Cristie Scott, cmscott@fortlewis.edu, 970-247-7333 Join us in celebrating the summer solstice on Sunday, June 21. At the dawn of the solstice, a spiral of sunlight from the Center's solstice window makes its way across the gallery walls. Arrive early to ensure you don't miss the impressive display. As the sun reaches the building, you are invited to join us in making a cyanotype print in the Center’s courtyard! All supplies will be provided, but bringing personal knickknacks and small objects is encouraged. The solstice window is situated in the upper northeast corner of the Center's exhibition gallery. Created by Denver artist Scott Parsons through Colorado’s Art in Public Places Program, the window was designed to integrate with the building’s architecture as a tribute to the solstice markers of the Ancestral Puebloans of Southwest Colorado. The spiral cast by the solstice window is visible for several weeks before and after the summer solstice but is sharpest on solstice morning. Moving with the rotation of the earth, the spiral makes its journey across the gallery wall, fading as the sun rises higher in the sky. The spiral is a significant symbol in the solstice markers of the Ancestral Puebloans of Southwest Colorado, reflecting their deep understanding of astronomy and their connection to the natural world. During the solstices and equinoxes, sunlight would interact with the spirals in specific ways, indicating the time of year. The Ancestral Puebloans relied on these markers to determine the best times for planting and harvesting crops, as well as for scheduling important communal and religious activities. Spirals are thought to represent various concepts in Puebloan culture, including the journey of life, cycles of time, and the interconnectedness of all things. The alignment of these markers with celestial events reflects a spiritual connection to the cosmos. For the Ancestral Puebloans, the sun and its cycles were integral to their spiritual beliefs and practices, symbolizing renewal and the balance between earth and sky, among other things.

Durango Botanic Gardens 2026 Gardens on Tour June 27th, 9 AM the 4 PM During the month of April, tickets are $30 for a member; $40 for a non-member Starting in May through June, tickets will be $35 for a member; $45 for a non-member Durango Botanic Gardens; www. DurangoBotanicGardens.org Contact: Barb Johnson, bjohnson283@msn.com; 970-799-4817 Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for DBG’s Annual Gardens on Tour. NEW THIS YEAR, for the month of April ONLY, we are offering an early bird discount. Log in to our website now to save $5 per ticket. GardensOnTour.org. Experience the 13th Annual Gardens on Tour, produced by the all-volunteer, nonprofit Durango Botanic Gardens. More than 400 visitors are expected to explore eight inspiring private and public gardens across our community. Discover pollinator-friendly, water-wise landscapes filled with native plants, bold colors, and rich textures. See creative solutions for gardening with wildlife, and enjoy tranquil water features designed for peace and reflection. The tour also includes a stop at Durango Hot Springs, a certified wildlife sanctuary where nature and guests exist in harmony. This self-guided tour begins at the Durango Public Library, where participants receive a guidebook with garden locations. Proceeds support the Durango Public Library, maintained by dedicated volunteers.

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!

Woven Landscapes: An Artist Talk with Darby Raymond-Overstreet" Thursday, September 24 6:00-7:30 p.m. Center of Southwest Studies - Lyceum (Room 120) Free + Open to All Contact: Cristie Scott, cmscott@fortlewis.edu, 970-247-7333 Hosted by the Center of Southwest Studies Join us for a special presentation by, Darby Raymond-Overstreet, a featured artist in the Center of Southwest Studies’ current exhibition, Constellations of Place. Darby, born in Tuba City and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, is an award-winning Diné artist who specializes in digital collage and printmaking to create powerful portraits, landscapes, and abstract forms inspired by and derived from traditional Diné textiles, with particular interest in pieces woven in the late 1800’s-1950’s. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, art markets, and exhibitions, including Horizons: Weaving Between the Lines with Dine Textiles at the Museum of Indian arts and Crafts (Santa Fe, NM), The Force is With Our People at the Museum of Northern Arizona (Flagstaff, AZ), and the The Return of the Force at the Center of Southwest Studies. Darby earned BA degrees in both Psychology and Studio Art, graduating with Honors from Dartmouth College, and currently resides in Chimayó, NM. “I am a Diné/Navajo artist inspired by the strength and resilience of the generations that came before me and by the lands that have been home to my people for countless generations. Through my practice of incorporating historic weaving in my digital works, I acknowledge the strength and resilience that my ancestors maintained in the face of immense adversity brought on by a shifting world propelled by colonial ideals and values. I aim to highlight how their legacies empower current generations to confront today’s challenges for a better future. My work addresses themes of identity and belonging, and examines the interdependent relationship that exists between land, art, and people.” Constellations of Place is made possible with generous support from the Belonging Colorado initiative of The Denver Foundation and the Greater Good Science Center and is in partnership with the America 250-Colorado 150 Southwest regional “Power of Place” initiative.