It’s hard to be friends with your neighbor if you never meet them.
In a world of growth and digital communication, communities can struggle to maintain meaningful, face-to-face relationships. For multigenerational families and longtime locals, we have witnessed a growing feeling of disconnection between city dwellers and our ranching, farming and rural neighbors.
The good news is that we are fortunate to have traditions that serve as a reminder of the importance of our heritage and personal connections.
Now in its 36th year, the Durango Cowboy Gathering (Oct. 2-6) showcases our Western spirit through cowboy music, poetry and spectacular street events. It is a wonderful, powerful reminder of the values that have shaped Southwest Colorado: hard work, resilience, a strong connection to the land and a commitment to community.
Equally important is building understanding, respect and friendship between our rural and urban communities. It’s about getting to know your neighbor whether they have been here for generations or newly arrived.
There are more than 40 music, poetry, comedy and school performances that offer a taste of cowboy perspectives, passion and humor. Try something new (that’s actually quite old).
For our cowboy community, show up! If we don’t tell our story, no one else will. Bring your horse, enter the parade (entry deadline Oct. 3).
The city of Durango has rolled out the red carpet for the Cowboy Parade and Horseback Social on Saturday morning Oct. 5. Six blocks of historic downtown will be fenced to permit two hours of horseback riding on Main Avenue before the start of the Cowboy Parade at 10:30 a.m.
Second Avenue will be reserved exclusively for horse truck and trailer parking – that’s a first for Durango.
Spectators can watch safely from the sidewalks behind the barricades where multiple exhibits and family activities will take place. There’s a petting corral, a stick pony rodeo and free horseback rides for kids under 12. You’ll see saddle making, a horse veterinarian, a farrier (horseshoer), the Basin Rodeo Team, 4-H, exhibits by the La Plata-Archuleta Cattlemen’s Association, the La Plata County Farm Bureau and others.
The National Mustang Association is even bringing a pair of rescued horses from the Mesa Verde herd. You won’t see that in the big city.
Show up early on Saturday morning. The Bar D Chuckwagon is hosting a street breakfast for 500 of your new best friends on Eighth Street between Main Avenue and the Durango Farmers Market starting at 7:30 a.m. ($15).
To add to the celebration, there is lots to do on Friday: Open mic sessions, trail rides, train trips and even a mechanical steer roping rodeo in the parking lot of the General Palmer Hotel. Everyone is encouraged to dress up for the Cowboy Mosey all day Friday whether your outfit is authentic, humorous or just weird (some are calling it Cowboy Snowdown).
Please visit our website, DurangoCowboyGathering.org, for tickets and information. There will also be a chuckwagon parked all week at 828 Main Ave. for tickets and official merchandise.
By coming together, sharing meals, stories and each other’s company during the Cowboy Gathering, all residents – both urban and rural – are reminded that despite any differences, we are neighbors. Let the Durango Cowboy Gathering be our meeting place.
Jack Turner is a fifth-generation local. His great-great-grandfather and grandmother drove a hundred head of cattle to homestead in the Animas Valley in 1868. He is a board member of the Durango Cowboy Gathering.
