Looking for things to do in Dolores now that the sun sets at 5 p.m.?
The Dolores Bike Hostel, 507 Central Ave. in downtown Dolores, has a lot of things going on, starting with a craft night on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.
“We thought we’d do something for the community to do in the dark days of winter,” said Hannah Carloni, who helps run the hostel with her brother, Jake. “The sun sets so early now; it’s important to create spaces for everyone to come together.”
At craft night, they’ll provide all materials to decorate winter ornaments, while sipping wine, tea or hot chocolate. They’ll likely also place a group order from The Italian across the street, Carloni said.
So far, all age groups have reserved a spot. There’s a 10 year old going, folks in their 60s and 70s, “and everyone in-between,” Carloni said.
“There’s no ageism in events in this town,” Carloni said.
There’s a suggested donation of $5 to $10, and proceeds will benefit The Piñon Project’s program to buy gifts for children in need, as the hostel is supporting nine kids this year, Carloni said.
There’s room for 30 people to craft, so be sure to RSVP via email at hello@doloresbikehostel.com, text (970)447-3882, or send a DM to @doloresbikehostel on Instagram.
As for future events, Carloni said they’d like to have a regular craft night every other Monday starting in January where people can bring projects they’re working on and socialize.
The hostel also hosts a monthly book club in conjunction with the Dolores Public Library. It’s the first Thursday of every month, “10/10 chill,” and not the sort of book club where everyone reads the same thing.
Instead, people come together and talk about the different books they’re reading individually.
There will also be an avalanche awareness refresher course with the Friends of the San Juans on Thursday Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. It’s not an official certification or anything like that, it’s just for those who recreate in the backcountry to get some knowledge about it.
Sometime in February, they’ll have another speed puzzling competition, and there’s a few bands already lined up for this summer, like Izaak Opatz on April 1.
“We’d like to be a music venue in the warmer months,” Carloni said.
There’s a lot going on around Montezuma County to make the cold, dark days of winter a little bit brighter. Check out community events like the ones at the hostel to stay connected and social in these wintry times.
