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Snowdown Festival 2026: Live Music Galore!
Snowdown Festival 2026: Live Music Galore!
Discover the thrill of ghost towns, join a light food tour, enjoy live music, and so much more in this exciting edition of Mountain to Mesa Journal! Plus, get ready for the Snowdown Festival 2026, Arches Ultra - Race, and numerous live music events, art exhibitions, and fun activities to keep you entertained.
Mountain to Mesa Staff
Jan 29, 2026
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Mountain to Mesa Journal — Edition Four |
As another week unfolds across the Four Corners, the Mountain to Mesa Journal returns with a fresh look at what’s happening close to home. From small-town gatherings to seasonal traditions, this newsletter keeps you connected to the everyday moments that shape life across the region—often quietly, sometimes unexpectedly.
This edition brings together a curated selection of local events, community happenings, and timely activities worth knowing about right now. Some are familiar standbys; others may be new discoveries, but all reflect the shared rhythm of mountain towns and high desert communities moving through the season together.
Whether you’re planning your weekend, looking for a reason to step out after work, or simply curious about what’s going on beyond your usual routes, this journal is here to point the way—without overloading your calendar or competing for attention. As always, the focus is local, practical, and intentional. Just what’s happening, where it’s happening, and why it might be worth your time.
Here’s what’s coming up! |
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Area Ghost Towns & Settlements |
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Scattered across the high desert and alpine basins of the Four Corners region are ghost towns that stand as quiet evidence of ambition outrunning reality. Born almost overnight during the mining booms of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these settlements rose quickly—and vanished just as fast—leaving behind weathered buildings, collapsed shafts, and stories embedded in the landscape.
High in the San Juan Mountains, Animas Forks remains one of the most striking examples. Perched above 11,000 feet, it once supported hundreds of residents, complete with a hotel, post office, and newspaper. When ore prices dropped and winters proved unforgiving, the town emptied with remarkable speed. Today, its skeletal structures feel paused in mid-conversation, preserved by altitude and isolation.
Not far away, Eureka tells a similar story. Once a bustling milling center, it faded as richer strikes drew miners elsewhere. Rusting machinery and stone foundations still dot the valley, hinting at an industrial scale that now feels out-of-place amid silence and wind. Lower elevations offered no guarantees either. In the La Plata Mountains, La Plata City briefly rivaled Durango in ambition. Built on rumors of gold rather than confirmed wealth, the town collapsed within a few short years, leaving behind scattered debris and exaggerated legends about what might still lie buried nearby.
Smaller towns such as Ophir managed to survive in reduced form, hovering between abandonment and revival. Their persistence underscores how thin the line was between permanence and disappearance in the mining economy of the Four Corners.
Beyond Colorado, ghost towns extend into the canyon country of Utah. Cisco, once sustained by railroads and later by oil speculation, slipped into decline as transportation routes shifted. Its collapsing storefronts and empty streets feel less ancient than abruptly forgotten—a reminder that abandonment did not end with the mining era.
What unites these places is not just economic failure, but speed. The Four Corners produced towns built for extraction, not endurance. When the ore ran out, so did patience. Today, these ghost towns endure as open-air archives, preserving the optimism, risk, and impermanence that defined the region’s boom-and-bust past. |
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Mud Springs Trail - Cortez, CO |
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🎭 Activity: Mud Springs Trail Loop |
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BOOze and Bites Light Food Tour |
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🎭 Activity: BOOze and Bites Light Food Tour |
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Sip & Stitch - Craft and Wine |
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🎭 Activity: Sip & Stitch - Craft and Wine |
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Live Music at The Strater Hotel |
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🎭 Activity: Live Music Schedule at The Strater Hotel |
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Bluegrass Jam - Durango Beer and Ice Company |
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🎭 Activity: Bluegrass Jam |
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Warhol and Wine Love Graffiti Class |
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🎭 Activity: Warhol and Wine Love Graffiti Class |
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Open Mic Night |
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🎭 Activity: Open Mic Night |
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Vintage Travel Poster - Picasso & Vino |
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🎭 Activity: Vintage Travel Poster - Picasso & Vino |
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Snowdown Festival 2026 |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Festival 2026 |
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Snowdown Treasure Hunt |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Treasure Hunt |
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Snowdown Cocktails for Conservation |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Cocktails for Conservation |
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Snowdowns Last Spoon Standing |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown's Last Spoon Standing |
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Flamingosis with DJ Harry & DJ Matteo |
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🎭 Activity: Flamingosis with DJ Harry & DJ Matteo |
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Snowdown Balloon Rally |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Balloon Rally |
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Cascade Winter Train |
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🎭 Activity: Cascade Canyon Winter Train |
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Snowdown Friday Fun - Button Making |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Friday Fun - All-ages Button Making |
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Snowdown Parade Party |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Parade Party |
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Red Ball Express |
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🎭 Activity: Red Ball Express |
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Snowdown Light Parade |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Light Parade |
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Snowdown Twister Tournament |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Twister Tournament |
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After Parade Dance Party |
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🎭 Activity: After Parade Dance Party |
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Snowdown Balloon Rally |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Balloon Rally |
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Snowdown Name That Tune Bingo |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Name That Tune Bingo |
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Snowdown Poetry Duels |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Poetry Duels |
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Snowdown Strike It Rich Blackjack |
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🎭 Activity: Snowdown Strike It Rich Blackjack |
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Karaoke with Kimmy |
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🎭 Activity: Karaoke with Kimmy |
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LPCSAR - Pancake Breakfast & Silent Auction |
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🎭 Activity: LPCSAR - Pancake Breakfast & Silent Auction |
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Veterans Benefit Breakfast - Post 4031 |
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🎭 Activity: Veterans Benefit Breakfast |
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Irish Jam |
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🎭 Activity: Irish Jam |
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Full Moon Howler Snowshoe Hike |
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🎭 Activity: Full Moon Howler Snowshoe Hike |
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Jammy Buffet - Jimmy Buffet Tribute |
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🎭 Activity: Jammy Buffet - Jimmy Buffet Tribute |
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Game Night |
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🎭 Activity: Game Night |
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Live Music & Events at the Pagosa Bar |
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🎭 Activity: Live Music & Events at the Pagosa Bar |
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Events at Picasso and Vino Studio |
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🎭 Activity: Events at Picasso and Vino Studio |
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Karaoke Night |
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🎭 Activity: Karaoke Night |
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Multipurpose Pavilion Fundraiser |
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🎭 Activity: Multipurpose Pavilion Fundraiser |
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Buckaroos Dinner Sleigh Ride |
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🎭 Activity: Buckaroos Dinner Sleigh Ride |
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Live Music at the Springs Resort |
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🎭 Activity: Live Music at the Springs Resort 📅 Date: Every Saturday 📍 Place: Springs Resort 🕒 Time: 5pm-7pm 🌐 Website: Learn More 🗺️ Directions: Springs Resort 📞 Contact: 800-225-0934 📄 Details: Enhance your day with Live Music in the Lodge Atrium every Saturday from 5pm-7pm. |
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Live Music & Events at Coyote Moon Lounge |
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🎭 Activity: Live Music & Events at Coyote Moon Lounge |
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Live Music & Events at Uncle's Bar and Social Club |
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🎭 Activity: Live Music & Events at Uncle's Bar and Social Club |
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Live Music Events at the El Camino Lounge and Grill |
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🎭 Activity: Live Music at the El Camino Lounge and Grill |
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Live Music Events at Dublin Crust & Brew |
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🎭 Activity: Live Music Events at Dublin Crust & Brew |
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Objects Tell Stories |
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🎭 Activity: Objects Tell Stories 📅 Date: January 22nd through March 31st 📍 Place: Farmington Museum 🕒 Time: 10am-5pm 🌐 Website: Learn More 🗺️ Directions: Farmington Museum 🎫 Admission: Free 📞 Contact: (505) 599-1174 📄 Details: The Farmington Museum’s collection is filled with fascinating treasures that capture the spirit of our community’s past. From antique furniture and vintage clothing to retro technology and unique works of art, each piece reveals a glimpse into the lives, creativity, and culture that shaped Farmington. Many of these artifacts are rarely displayed—explore our staff’s favorite picks and discover the stories they have to tell. |
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Celebrating 45 Years of Anthony Chee Emerson |
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🎭 Activity: Celebrating 45 Years of Anthony Chee Emerson 📅 Date: Jan 22nd - Feb 13th, 2026 📍 Place: Henderson Fine Art Gallery 🕒 Time: 4 - 6pm 🌐 Website: Learn More 🗺️ Directions: Henderson Fine Art Gallery 📞 Contact: (505) 566-3464 📄 Details: Join us at the Henderson Fine Art Gallery for a celebration of 45 years of Anthony Chee Emerson’s artistry. The event showcases a collection of traditional and contemporary media intertwined with Diné culture and storytelling, as Emerson brings his colorful masterpieces to life. |
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Navajo Skies |
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🎭 Activity: Navajo Skies 📅 Date: January 30th, 2026 📍 Place: San Juan College Planetarium 🕒 Time: 06:30 PM - 10:30 PM 🗺️ Directions: San Juan College Planetarium 📞 Contact: (505) 566-3361 📄 Details: Join us for the presentation 'Navajo Skies' at the San Juan College Planetarium, exploring Navajo Astronomy with Dr. Nancy Maryboy and Dr. David Begay. Discover eight major Navajo constellations and many more that have never been seen before! |
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Jungle Book - Henderson Fine Arts Center |
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🎭 Activity: Jungle Book |
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Marshall Noice Exhibition |
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🎭 Activity: Marshall Noice Exhibition |
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Electric Love |
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🎭 Activity: Electric Love |
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Telluride Gold Kings - Live Music |
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🎭 Activity: Telluride Gold Kings - Live Music |
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Boogie Lights |
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🎭 Activity: Boogie Lights |
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Teton Gravity's Pressure Drop |
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🎭 Activity: Teton Gravity's Pressure Drop |
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Mind Blown - Ty Gallenbeck |
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🎭 Activity: Mind Blown |
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Bass Camp |
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🎭 Activity: Bass Camp |
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Wine and Spirit Tasting |
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🎭 Activity: Wine and Spirit Tasting |
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Cousin Curtiss |
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🎭 Activity: Cousin Curtiss |
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Jammy Buffet |
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🎭 Activity: Jammy Buffet |
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KOTO Lip Sync Contest |
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🎭 Activity: KOTO Lip Sync Contest |
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Emily Scott Robinson in Concert |
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🎭 Activity: Emily Scott Robinson |
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Silverton Main Street Cocktail Crawl |
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🎭 Activity: Silverton Main Street Cocktail Crawl 📅 Date: January 30th 2026 📍 Place: Silverton Main Street 🕒 Time: 5-7 pm 🌐 Website: Learn More 🗺️ Directions: Silverton Main Street 📄 Details: Join the Silverton Main Street Program for a tropical-themed Cocktail Crawl during Snowscape! The crawl kicks off at The Den @ Coffee Bear and features participating businesses along Greene St and Blair including Golden Block Brewery, Elevated Coffee Company (non-alcoholic option), Alpine Tavern, Dera Deli, and Eureka Station from 5–7 PM. |
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Mean Irene EP Release Party “Poor Girl” |
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🎭 Activity: Mean Irene EP Release Party “Poor Girl” |
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Arches Ultra - Race (Moab) |
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🎭 Activity: Arches Ultra |
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Emberglow Festival - Silverton |
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🎭 Activity: Emberglow Festival |
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