Durango Onward! Community Banding Together by Joy Martin
Yvonne Lashmett
When Durango’s new city manager, José Madrigal, moved to the Animas Valley in September 2020, the search for a house big enough to accommodate his family of seven proved quite the challenge—especially during a time when everyone else was also looking for a house in Durango. While they hunted, the Madrigal family kept busy getting to know Durango’s bountiful offerings. “There’s not much small talk on Zoom, like there would be if we were at the office, so we’re having fun just finding places for ourselves,” says Madrigal. Besides discovering their favorite pizza joints, beers (for the parents, obviously), and other local delicacies, the Madrigals have spent their days relishing Durango’s abundance of fresh air and open spaces. Skiing, fly-fishing, more skiing, and hiking the Sky Steps are just a few winter favorites for the Texas natives. When he’s not exploring his new home with the family, Madrigal is working hard to push out this year’s strategic plan, which has a strong focus on Courtesy of José Madrigal the hottest topics, 14 Durango Magazine Summer/Fall
like diversity, equity, and inclusion across the spectrum of city programs and services; environmental and social sustainability; financial transparency; and enhancement of the elements that make living in Durango so fabulous, just to name a few. Some of those enhancements include paying special attention to nurturing Durango’s vibrant arts and culture scene, which is experiencing a revival, thanks to our renewed appreciation for those treasures we largely missed out on last year. For one, the summer and fall events calendar is already bulging with the return of some beloved oldies—like the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, Animas River Days, and, fingers crossed, Fourth of July fireworks. In the North Main District, the Animas City Night Bazaar returns with its Passeggiata, a neighborhood promenade held on the last Wednesday of each month from June till October. This wellness-minded street party features bizarre phenomena— busking musicians, circus performers, popup art, flash-mob dances, a petting zoo, and more. Everyone is encouraged to attend, especially after enjoying happy hour at one of North Main Avenue’s bustling restaurants, bars, or ice cream trucks. Also taking the stage once again this season is the iAM MUSIC Fest, which fea-
tures eight shows from May through October in Durango, with three shows in Pagosa Springs and one in Silverton. Venues include the Nugget Mountain Bar, and in downtown Durango at Buckley Park and the Durango Craft Spirits lot. Each concert is a full-on stage production showcasing local and regional musicians and performing artists. “After all we’ve been through, we’ve seen that there’s an even greater need for music,” says Jesse Ogle, professional musician and founder of iAM MUSIC. “We want to expand on that. Hopefully we can do something that will make people not take the arts for granted but rather see the value in this important part of our community.” The creative juices aren’t just flowing for the artists and musicians in town; restaurant and business owners have also dug deep and uncovered innovative ways to not only survive these challenging times but to thrive. Many of last year’s outdoor gatherings that pivoted to accommodate social-distancing guidelines will resume with the warmer weather, including al fresco dining experiences, Main Avenue’s wildly successful bump-outs, and a Movie in the Park series, which will take place at Buckley Park on the first and third Fridays in June, July, and August.
