The 4th of July is nearly upon us. What do you normally do for the 4th? Many locals head of out town, but this year, I want you to stay in town because there will be an amazing amount of fun to be had.

A team including the city of Durango, Visit Durango, La Plata County Fairgrounds and Events Center, the Durango Chamber of Commerce and Business Improvement District have been planning close to 30 activities for several months. Here’s a summary of what is happening:

The 4th is on a Tuesday this year, so the fun starts the weekend before. Start your day on July 1 with A Taste of Independence: A Celebration of Local Food Trucks at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. This is from noon to 3 p.m., and thanks to Oscar’s Diner, there will be a pie-eating contest on site at 2:30 p.m.At 4 p.m., head over to 11th Street Station for a watermelon-eating contest. There will be three age groups – up to 6 years old; 7 to 15; and 16 and older. Cool prizes are offered for this bracket-style tournament to see who can eat a big bowl of watermelon the fastest. KSUT is holding its annual Party in the Park at Buckley Park the evening of July 1. This year’s amazing band is Ozomatli, and opening is DJ I-Gene. This is sure to be a memorable show in downtown Durango so don’t miss it. Ticket information can be found on KSUT’s Facebook page. If that show is not for you, go to Animas City Theatre for the Gasoline Lollipops. The Gas Pops’ latest album is a union of soul music and Southern rock. They have won multiple awards for best Colorado band. Visit AnimasCityTheatre.com to get your tickets now.July 2 starts with breakfast in Durango, featuring breakfast specials at many local restaurants. The VFW will host an ice cream social, right before the Southwest Civic Winds hosts a free jazz concert at Rotary Park. All day long, you can participate in the July 4 decorating contest by voting for the store that is decorated the best. There will also be a scavenger hunt at some of these stores with a cool prize for whoever figures out the clues.July 3 continues the decorating contest voting and scavenger hunt, and has a pie-baking contest at EsoTerra Ciderworks. That evening will feature a local band and a free outdoor movie at Buckley Park.The big day is July 4. Start at Rotary Park for a gourmet breakfast fundraiser for the Rotary Club. Next up is a 5K fun run and Southwest Civic Winds will play a patriotic concert. Head over to Buckley Park in the afternoon for two bands, food, kids activities and more, all to benefit Building Homes for Heroes. The Stars and Stripes parade starts at 5 p.m. downtown. After that, the action shifts to the Transit Center for more live music, a beer garden and an amazing LED drone show.

For all of the details, visit DowntownDurango.org/4th-of-July. See you on the 4th!

Tim Walsworth is executive director of Durango Business Improvement District. Reach him at [email protected] or 375-5068.