The 40th annual Escalante Days Celebration kicks off this weekend in Dolores.
Activities run from Friday, Aug. 12 to Sunday, Aug. 14, when the softball tournament finishes.
The main events – including the traditional chain saw competition, arm wrestling, mountain bike race and 12-band music festival – are on Saturday 13 throughout the day and night.
Vendors will be setting up in Flanders Park, and the Kiddy Parade will begin at the Dolores General Store at 5:30 p.m.
At 6 p.m. there is a Kid Bicycle Rodeo behind the Dolores Medical Center with a chance to win one of many bikes. There will be free helmets and safety instruction. A bike is not necessary to participate.
At 7 p.m., the kid ice cream eating contest will take place at Flanders Park.
From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., get a good breakfast and donate to a good cause at the K-9 Search and Rescue Pancake Breakfast at the Dolores Fire Station. It is the organization’s only fundraiser for the year, and it helps pay for their search and rescue missions throughout the region.
At 7 a.m., the softball tournament begins. For information, contact Leo Garnard at 970-749-3718.
At 8 a.m., register for the Dolores Rotary Club Mountain Bike Race in front of Dolores Medical Center.
The race begins at 9:50 a.m. on Central Avenue. There are categories for beginner and expert, and a new 50-mile endurance race. For more information, go to www.doloresrace.com
At 9 a.m., the Four Corners Community Band will perform downtown.
After the race start, there will be a downtown parade at 9:50 a.m. Line up in front of the Dolores High School at 9:30 a.m.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., traditional events will take place downtown, including the chain saw contest at 11 a.m., the watermelon-eating contest at noon, the water balloon toss at 12:30 p.m., arm wrestling at 1 p.m., penny hunt at 2 p.m., three-legged race at 2:30 p.m., Dolores Fire District water hose fight at 2:30 p.m., the Dolores Rotary raffle drawing at 3 p.m., stomp rockets at 3:15 p.m., the Kiwanis Duck Race at Dolores River at 3:30 p.m. and the egg toss at 3:45 p.m.
Beginning at 2 p.m. and lasting until midnight, the Dolores River Brewery will host the Escalante Nights music festival, featuring 12 bands for $10. Bands will alternate between two outdoor stages at the brewery.
The lineup 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.
All day long, the Galloping Goose will provide free rides from the station downtown.
This is the 40th anniversary of Escalante Days, which began 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, which included naming nearby Centennial Peak.
It has since become a way to also recognize Spanish explorers Dominquez and Escalante, who came through the area in 1776 and gave the Dolores River its name.
“It has a long history as a community celebration,” said Dolores Chamber of Commerce director Rocky Moss.
