Community events | KDUR Community Radio

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!

Meet Carline Romney, Durango's First Newspaper Editor! Sit in as a “budding journalist” interviews the founder and editor of Durango’s first newspaper. Caroline Romney will recount her adventures in the newspaper business, life on the frontier, her real estate enterprises, mining ventures and useful inventions. Prepare to be surprised by the accomplishments of this remarkable woman who not only reported history – she made history. There is no charge for this live event at the Animas Museum, 3065 W. 2nd Ave Durango on Saturday, September 12 at 1pm. Part of the Southwest Colorado Humanities Roundtable History Live! month. Check our website animasmuseum.org for more information.

Durango Public Library 1900 E 3rd Avenue Durango, CO 81301 Phone: 970-375-3380 https://www.durangogov.org/library FREE The Falls Creek Rock Shelters: Reanalysis, Repatriation, and Reconciliation Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6-7:30pm Dawn Mulhearn and Mona Charles will be discussing their newly released book that reexamines the significant Basketmaker II site north of Durango.

The Early History of Electric Power in SW Colorado Starting with the Ames Power Plant serving the Gold King Mine near Telluride, SW Colorado was an early adopter of AC electricity. Charles DiFerdinando, a long-time resident, will present his narrative of the history of local power generation. There is no charge for this event which will be held at the Powerhouse Science Center on Saturday, September 19th at 6pm. Part of the Southwest Colorado Humanities Roundtable History Live! month.

Durango Public Library 1900 E 3rd Avenue Durango, CO 81301 Phone: 970-375-3380 https://www.durangogov.org/library FREE Creating Historical Fiction from History Monday, Sept. 21, 6-7:30pm Ever wonder how an author gets the spark to build an entire story around? Join Jenn James Wheeling, award-winning author of the Zephyr Western series, to learn about how she finds historical inspiration for her western series.

Durango Public Library 1900 E 3rd Avenue Durango, CO 81301 Phone: 970-375-3380 https://www.durangogov.org/library FREE Hornos, Chuckwagons, and Hardtack: The 1876 Table Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6-7:30pm It is Colorado's 150th year as a state, so let's look back at how and what people ate in 1876. We’ll look at the foods, preparation methods, serving ware, and customs around campfires, hornos, manos & metates, and cast iron as we explore the seasonality of foods and transitory nature of the hearth as people moved into, out of, and around what became the state of Colorado in 1876

Manna's 2nd Annual -Our Streets Our Stories" Community Event A unique, free-to-the-public fundraising event that invites the community to experience our mission up close through shared meals, powerful storytelling, and immersive engagement. Date/Time: Thursday, September 24th, 2026 4:30 - 7:30 pm (MDT) Free Address: 1100 Avenida Del Sol Durango, Colorado 81301 United States Manna website: https://www.mannasoupkitchen.org/ Tickets: https://donorbox.org/events/957662 Contact Info: Joseph Kuzma- marketing@mannasoupkitchen.com

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.