One of the great things about Pagosa Springs is the annual Fourth of July Parade, which provides, for many of us, the only good reason for living here.
However, the photo of a previous parade, shown above, reflects a reality that has since vanished. By which I mean, the Parade went down San Juan Street, turned the corner, and continued down Pagosa Street
Also Known As Highway 160.
In case anyone has noticed, Highway 160 doesn’t look like it used to. Used to be a wide-open four-lane highway through town. Not anymore.
More like a disaster zone.
Three years ago, when the Colorado Department of Transportation announced the pending destruction of Highway 160, the Town of Pagosa Springs came up with the idea of directing the July 4th Parade through the southern part of downtown, marching down Hot Springs Boulevard, and right on Apache Street, and then left on South 5th Street.
The Town had recently “adopted” the Fourth of July Parade from the Rotary Club, who had been organizing the parade for a couple of decades. As with so many social clubs in America, the Rotary Club members had gotten too old for such strenuous activities, and the Town staff was reasonably young and fit.
Organizing the Parade along the alternate parade route posed certain problems, however, including children crossing in front of moving vehicles, and long delays between floats. Too much standing around, waiting for something to happen.
For some of us, the event turned out to be unsatisfying, compared to the wonderful parades of previous years. Sort of a debacle, really.
One particularly unsatisfying aspect? The Town’s employees had to work on a federal holiday.
A few people found the re-routed Parade satisfying, but they were rather young and probably didn’t know any better.
Then, last year, the Town hosted a Parade that wasn’t a parade at all. The floats were parked, stationary, in Yamaguchi Park and we had to physically walk from one to the next. The “Stars & Stripes Stroll”. The Parade-That-Wasn’t-A-Parade honored veterans and first responders, we were told.
After that different but equally unsatisfying attempt, the Town government gave up on July 4th parades for the time being — even though they knew very well that 2026 is the 250th anniversary of a certain “Declaration of Independence”, and the 150th anniversary of a certain state’s “Statehood”.
You get a “250-150 Anniversary” only once in a great while. In fact, if my math is correct, it only happens one time. And only in Colorado, to boot.
What was the Town government thinking? No Parade during “250-150”? They weren’t thinking, if you ask me.
Fortunately, the Archuleta County government has stepped up to sponsor the Fourth of July Parade for 2026, with roughly the same planned route as in 2024, going down Hot Springs Boulevard. Then, a big, fat party in Yamaguchi Park, celebrating “250-150”.
The County government wasn’t required to do this. They have lots of other things they could be doing with our money. I could mention a few of them. But the commissioners realize that many of us — perhaps most of us — live here for one reason and one reason only: Fourth of July.
With a parade.
A slightly weird part of this whole arrangement? The Declaration of Independence was actually signed on August 2, 1776.
But “The Fourth of July” has such a pleasant, musical ring to it. Much nicer, in my opinion, than “The Second of August”.
Colorado actually became the 38th state on August 1, 1876. So that’s another confusing detail that we’re going to ignore.
Why remind people of the truth? This is America.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.