Starting Friday, July 26, and going through the weekend, the town of Mancos will be celebrating its 66th annual Mancos Days. This year’s theme is beach party.
The event takes place in downtown Mancos, on Main Street, Boyle Park and throughout various locations in Mancos. Events scattered over the course of the weekend include a parade, backyard games, kids’ parade and games, antique and classic car show, scavenger hunt, cornhole tournament, adult softball and volleyball and more, ensuring there is something for everyone.
“Aloha! Put on your flip-flops, it’s a beach party on Grand Avenue. Get ready to cruise down the street in style with a beach themed float or costume,” organizers said.
The first Mancos Days took place in Boyle Park in 1958, and the annual tradition of selecting a Mancos Days Pioneer Queen started with the selection of Maria Decker in 1961.
This year’s queen is Mary Alice Gonzales, and the third annual Little Miss Mancos is Aliza Davis. Davis was chosen by her teachers for her kind and hardworking spirit, according to information from Mancos Days organizers.
The Mancos Days Pioneer Queen is selected by the Montezuma County VFW Auxiliary 5231 each year. The queen is usually someone who has been a longtime member of the community, and a quilt is made in her honor.
Vendors will be at the park and downtown Mancos from noon to 6 p.m. each day of the event. A beer garden will be set up at Pioneer Plaza, and those who wish to cool off in the heat can participate in a water fight on Main Street hosted by the Montezuma County firefighters.
A 5k fun run will be held, and live music will be played throughout the course of the weekend.
To wrap up the weekend, there will be a church service with live music and breakfast on Sunday morning.
The event kicks off on Friday with a kids’ parade at 10 a.m. and kids’ games in the park at 11 a.m. Children aged four through 12 are invited to participate in the games.
From noon to 2 p.m., the home run derby will take place, and the queens’ tea hosted by the VFW auxiliary is set to commence at 1 p.m. at the community center. At 3 p.m., the band Horizon will play at the Pavilion, Escape the Badlands will play at the beer garden at 5 p.m., Vanishing Breed at Mancos Brewery at 5:30 p.m. and The Lizard Head Quartet at Fenceline Cider at 6 p.m.
A teen movie will be held at the library at 7 p.m., and the library will be hosting an all-day book sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Saturday, a pancake breakfast will be served at the community center from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and the 5k fun run registration will be at 7 a.m. The race will start at 7:30 a.m.
Volleyball registration will take place at the pavilion at 8 a.m., and the volleyball match will start at 9 a.m., the same time as the parade registration lineup. The parade will start at 10 a.m. along Grand Ave., and the classic and antique car show on Grand Avenue will open to spectators at 10:30 a.m.
Cornhole registration will take place at 11 a.m. at the pavilion, and the tournament will begin at noon. There will also be horseshoe tournament registration at By Pits at noon, as well as the VFW flag ceremony and queen’s luncheon at the pavilion.
Aloha Club will start at 12:15 p.m. in Boyle Park, and the horseshoe tournament will begin at 1 p.m. The library’s book sale will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The best in show for the car show will be announced at the pavilion at 3 p.m., as well as a beer (water) pong tournament and dice tournament at 4 p.m.
The afternoon and evening promises an exciting lineup of musicians, with BluPhunk Collective playing at the pavilion at 2 p.m. and Cricket at Fenceline at 4 p.m.
The beer garden will host Neighborhood Watch at 5 p.m., Afrobeatniks at 7 p.m. and Little Brother at 9 p.m.
The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with adult coed softball teams hitting the field at 8 a.m. and Donnie Johnson and the SW Cowboy Church Band playing at 9 a.m., complete with a church breakfast in the park. The Mesa Trails Cowboy Band will play next at the pavilion, followed by a Sunday church service.
The weekend will end with the 10 a.m. Mancos Cattlemen’s Ranch Rodeo at the Cox Arena.
Those who wish to sign up for the parade, to be a vendor or to register their car for the car show can do so online at www.mancosdays.com/.
