A Durango tradition is in full swing, with three more days to go.

Durango Fiesta Days is turning 80, with activities that have a long history – rodeos and the parade – and one that is new – a collaboration with Music in the Mountains.

For the latter, the Southern Drawl Band will perform at a dance party in the Exhibit Hall at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall on Saturday night after the Tough Enough to Wear Pink Rodeo.

Since its founding in 1935, the event, a highlight of summer, has been called Spanish Trails Fiesta and Navajo Trail Fiesta before arriving at its current iteration. Its purpose, organizers say, is to preserve the area’s Western heritage and portray La Plata County’s history as an agricultural community.

[email protected]