Plan Now for July 4th Holiday in Pagosa Springs

Here are a few activities to look forward to, over the Fourth of July holiday in Pagosa Springs.

There WILL be a 4th of July parade, but it will take place on July 3.

The Chamber is still receiving lots of inquiries about this activity. The Parade will be held on Saturday, July 3 at 10am. Staging will occur at the High School and line up along South 6th St. The parade will head out onto Hwy 160 and continue to Hot Springs Blvd. The parade will then travel south along Hot Springs Blvd and head back to the High School. Hot Springs Boulevard will likely be an ideal location for spectators who are social-distancing.

Parade applications can be downloaded here, or you can pick up a hard copy at Town Hall. The entry fee has been waived for 2021; however, you will need to get your forms into the Town by Thursday, July 1 to accommodate line-up of the floats.  All participants with an entry are required to complete a Release of Liability Form. Any entries that include vehicles will also need to provide a copy of proof of insurance for the vehicles.

The Chamber is preparing for the three-day Park to Park Artisan Market beginning on Friday, July 2 and ending Sunday, July 4. Over 50 vendors are scheduled for this year. The vendors will be located in both Town Park and the Athletic Field across from Town Park. There is an array of fabulous hand crafted and popular commercial items to shop for. The fair will be held every day from 10am to 6pm.

The Red Ryder Rodeo will be back this year with the 71st annual rodeo from July 2-4. Evening performances begin at 6pm on July 2 and 3. On July 4 the rodeo will be held starting at 2pm. The rodeo takes place at the Western Heritage Fairgrounds off of Hwy 84 and Mill Creek Rd. Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate or online at www.pagosarodeo.com. If you are interested in box seats, that information is also listed on the website.

Often the highlight of the holiday is the fireworks display. Barring any fire restrictions, the fire works are scheduled to be held the evening of July 4th in the vicinity of the High School. There are many places to observe the fireworks and we will present more information as the date (and assurance of being able to shoot off fireworks) draws closer.

The Pagosa Band, aka Pagosa Instrumental Society will hold their free patriotic concert on July 4th at The Springs Resort. People can view and listen to the moving music from Centennial Park (which is where the growing domes are located) or The Springs Resort property.

There is still plenty of time over the weekend to enjoy family and our great outdoors, along with servicing the many visitors who will be descending upon our community, as this is one of Pagosa’s busiest seasons of the entire year. Check out the Chamber website for more information, www.pagosachamber.com.

Tickets are now available for the Burris & Sons Pagosa Thursday night rodeos which will start tonight, Thursday, June 3 and run until the end of July. (They will not take place on July 1 and July 8.) The rodeo is held at the Western Heritage Center Fairgrounds just south of town on Hwy 84. Pre-rodeo festivities begin at 6:30pm with the actual rodeo events beginning at 7pm. Tickets are available at the gate for $15 or adults and $10 for youth; however, advance tickets can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce at 105 Hot Springs Blvd. at a discount, with adult tickets $12 and youth $8. Purchases at the Chamber are by cash or check only.

Mary Jo Coulehan

Mary Jo Coulehan is Executive Director of the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce, and also serves on a number of local and state boards.