With the addition of a 12-band music festival for just 10 bucks, the Escalante Days and Nights festival in Dolores has grown to become an even bigger regional favorite.
Aug. 13 is the 40th anniversary of the community event born in 1976 to commemorate the nearby Escalante Ruin. The inaugural was attended by Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm as part of the state’s Centennial celebration that included naming nearby Centennial Peak.
It has since become a way to also recognize Spanish explorers Dominguez and Escalante who came through the area in 1776 and gave the Dolores River its current name.
“It has a long history as a community celebration,” said Dolores Chamber of Commerce director Rocky Moss.
On Friday afternoon, there will be a kid parade, ice-cream-eating contest, and kid bike rodeo. Dr. Allan Burnside will once again give away bikes and helmets to kids.
On Saturday, the festival features a pancake breakfast at the Dolores fire station, a mountain bike race, softball tournament, parades, arm wrestling and chain saw competitions, 10 hours of live music at the local brewery, rubber ducky river race, and a whole lot more.
What’s different this year? A few things, Moss says.
For example, an adult beverage tent will be set up at the site of the original Hollywood Bar, which burned down in 2012 and was never rebuilt. The bike race has a new 50-mile endurance course category, in addition to the traditional routes. And there are more bands performing at the Dolores River Brewery, that will alternately play on two stages from 2 p.m. to midnight.
“It is the best music festival deal in the Four Corners,” says producer Aaron Lemay, of Inner Orbit Sound Systems. “We have a super-wide variety of music, from Spanish, blues and reggae, to rock, country and bluegrass, plus belly dancers!”
The line-up includes Adrianne Chalepah, Blue Pickle, Bradley Sitton, The Crags, Del Corazon, Hui Aloha, Hurricane Jake’s One Man Band, Niceness, O&Co., Sweetwater Station, Troupe Verde Belly Dancers, and Wake-up Laughing.
The Saturday morning parade has a 1970’s theme, and will begin after the bike race start at 9:50 a.m..
“Dress up in your best ’70s style, that should be easy for a lot of us,” Moss said. “It’s going to feel like old times at the Hollywood.”
Radio station KKDC “D’Crow” will be doing a live broadcast and play-by-play of the competitions.
Moss and Lemay said the summer celebration is becoming more popular. Town attendance last year was estimated at 1,200 people, up from 1,000 the year before. The music portion of the festival went from 200 tickets sold in 2012 to 550 tickets sold last year.
“It’s a bump for local businesses,” Moss said. “All the new restaurants get a lot of exposure as well.”
Vendor space is still available at Flanders Park and at the brewery. For more information and a schedule go to http://www.doloreschamber.com/event/18260/
Volunteers are needed for the music festival and it comes with a free ticket. To volunteer, contact Mandy at (970) 739-9119.
