For over five decades, for one summer weekend, the town of Mancos has let loose to celebrate small-town living by way of Mancos Days.
The three-day extravaganza is jam-packed with events that, in Mancos, have become synonymous with summer – parades, live music, pie-eating contests, duck races, water fights with the Mancos Valley Fire Department, and much more.
This year’s event is also bringing in new additions like a classic car show and ghost tours, sponsored by the Mancos Historic Society.
Leslie Hopkins, parks and recreation director with the Town of Mancos, has helped coordinate the event for 17 years. She says attendees can expect the good old-fashioned, family-friendly time that has kept Mancos Days alive for over 50 years.
“It’s a big family thing,” said Hopkins.
The fun begins Friday at 10 a.m. with the Kids Parade. Events run on the hour and include the Queen’s Tea with the 2015 Mancos Days Queen Ellen Paquin. Another staple of Mancos Days is the Queen’s Lunch, which is slated for Saturday.
Every year, the Ladies Auxiliary of Montezuma County VFW Post 5231 elects a Mancos Days Pioneer Queen, a 50-year tradition.
Paquin, a lifelong Mancos Valley resident, is a second-generation Mancos Days Pioneer Queen. In 1966, her mother, Myrtle, held the title, and Paquin plans to wear her mother’s Pioneer Queen dress to celebrate.
Aside from the three-day softball tournaments, and kids and adult games, another tradition is the teen dance, which is held this year at Grand Avenue and South Mesa Street on Saturday night.
“(Mancos Days) is a cherished event with a lot of people, and high school graduates kind of use it as a way to reconnect as a way to with class grads,” said Marie Chiarizia, director of the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce. “It’s great for the economy, and great for hotels and motels here.”
Mancos resident Barbara Zeutzius says has strong family ties to Mancos Days, as her father and sister were planners back in early days.
“It started out after some of the merchants in town wanted to do something to bring people in. They wanted to celebrate it on Colorado’s birthday by doing it the last full weekend in July,” said Zeutzius. Colorado’s birthday is Aug. 1. “It started out smaller and grew. It’s not quite as big as it used to be. As the town grew, the land they were having some of the events on filled.”
One event from yesteryear she remembers is “animal catching,” which would put kids in a circle filled with puppies, kittens, ducks and more.
“So many people were allowed to be in a circle, and you had to get permission, and then they went in to get a critter they wanted,” she said.
Aside from the events, Mancos Days has always been centered around bringing current and former residents together. Zeutizius’ Mancos High School graduating class will be gathering for their 41st reunion at this weekend’s event.
“I remember people who would plan their vacation for Mancos days,” she said.
Mancos Days kicks off at 10 a.m. on July 24, and has events all weekend beginning as early as 6:30 a.m.
Schedules will be posted on the town’s new wayfinder kiosks at Main Street and Grand Avenue, and at the back side of Boyle Park.
2015 Mancos Days Schedule
The 56th Annual Mancos Days starts this weekend. All events take place in Boyle Park or Downtown Mancos unless otherwise noted.
Friday July 24
10 a.m.: Kids’ Parade
11 a.m.- 1 p.m.: Kids’ Games
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Fishing Derby (Mancos River)
1 p.m.: Queens Tea (Bauer House)
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Suzanne’s School of Dance
4 p.m.: Flag Ceremony
4:30 P.M.: Live music: Not Quite Dry
5 p.m.: Softball tournament begins
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.: Grand Summer Nights: Grand Avenue Art Galleries open late
Live music: Sweetwater Station
8 p.m. - 11 p.m.: Teen Street Dance with DJ Aaron Lemay (S. Mesa and Grand Ave.)
Saturday July 25:
6:30 A.M.: Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast (Mancos School)
7:30 A.M.: Fun Run starts
7:30 A.M.: Softball tournament
8:30 A.M.: Fun Run awards and prizes
9 a.m.: Parade registration and line up (Spruce St. and Grand Ave.)
9 a.m. - 6 p.m.: Volleyball tournament
10 - 11:30 A.M.: Parade starts
11:30 A.M.- 3 P.M.: Classic car show
11:30 A.M. - 1 P.M.: Queens lunch
12 p.m.: National Day of the Cowboy Read ‘Em Cowboy Event
12:30 P.M.: Queens Quilt Winner announced
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Adult and Kids games: Tug of War, Pie Eating Contest, Arm Wrestling
1 p.m. - 6 p.m.: Horseshoe tournament begins
1:30 - 6:30 P.M.: Four Corners Square Dancers
3 p.m.: Parade winners announced
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Duck Race (Mancos River)
3:30 - 5:30 p.m.: Live music: Big Money and The Corporate Citizen
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.: Spaghetti Dinner for the Mancos Scholarship Association (Mancos School)
6 p.m. - 9 p.m.: Live music: C and D Productions
Sunday July 26
7:30 A.M.: Softball tournament
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Live music: Still Waking Up
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Live music: Secondhand Strings
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Water Fights (Mancos Fire Department), weather permitting
2015 Mancos Days Sponsors
The theme for the 56th annual Mancos Days event is “Only in Mancos.” The 3-day extravaganza is organized months in advance by a group of volunteers and the Town of Mancos, and is made financially possible by the town, vendor fees, funds from softball tournament registrations, and local sponsors. This year’s sponsors include:
Gold Sponsors
Empire Electric
Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce
Silver Sponsors
Absolute Bakery and Cafe
Columbine Bar
CD Investments (Ancient Cedars)
Deer Hill Expeditions
Essence of Healing
The Jean Bader Family (Kelly-Bader Ranch)
Mancos Brewing Electric Company
Mancos Electric
Mancos Valley Bank
Mancos Valley Resources
Mesa Verde Motel
Simbeck and Associates
Souder, Miller and Associates
Bronze Sponsors
Bar D Chuckwagon
Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railrod
Mancos Friends of the Library
National Day of the Cowboy
Premier Weed
Up the Creek Antiques
Wagner Enterprises
