The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade is examining how best to serve rural communities as part of the Colorado Blueprint 2.0 initiative.

A listening and strategy session with economic-development practitioners, business leaders, elected officials, nonprofit representatives and interested members of the public will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at the Silverton Town Hall, 1360 Greene St., Silverton.

Fiona Arnold, executive director of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade, also will take the opportunity to visit Barz Decorative Hardware in Silverton, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Durango and the Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs in Durango. Arnold also has plans to visit Tailwinds in Bayfield and businesses in Pagosa Springs on a return trip later this summer.

For more information, call (303) 892-3850 or email [email protected].

Help sought to finish Purgatory Flow Trail

Trails 2000 will host a Build Day on the initial phases of the Purgatory Flow Trail From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Participants will do a variety of finish work on the trail. Volunteers should meet in the Plaza at Purgatory promptly at 9 a.m. and expect to work until 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will board the lift to ride to the work site.

Trails 2000 will provide lunch. Volunteers need to bring a backpack. No experience is necessary. Trails 2000 will provide tools, instruction, water, snacks and lunch. Participants should wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, closed-toe shoes, a hat, sunscreen and bring a water bottle and rain gear.

For more information, visit www. Trails2000.org.

Demolition Derby tickets go on sale

Tickets for the 2015 La Plata County Fair’s Demolition Derby will go on sale Thursday.

Tickets for the annual event are $15 for all ages. Tickets will be available at these locations beginning at 8 a.m. or at the time of the business opening: Durango Music, Handlebar Motorsports, the La Plata County Fairgrounds and Durango Muffler, as well as Mill Street Drug in Bayfield and Walker’s Do It Best Hardware in Ignacio.

The derby will take place at noon Aug. 8. The 2015 La Plata County Fair will be held Aug. 5-9 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

Nationally known teacher visits quilters

The La Plata Quilters Guild will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 495 Florida Road.

J. Michelle Watts of Roswell Quilts of the Southwest will do a trunk show of her quilts. Watts is a nationally renown teacher.

Watts also will teach a class on using Shiva Paintsticks from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Christ the King Lutheran Church. Participants will make a miniature quilt which will be finished in class.

For more information or to sign up for the class, call Cathy Duggan at 884-5129.

Celebrate arts and crafts at Santa Rita

The 24th annual Art on the Animas Arts & Crafts Festival will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in Santa Rita Park at the Durango Visitor Center.

Entertainment will be provided by Big Gerry and Dannie Lynn Parker.

The fair will feature a wide variety of arts and crafts.

For more information, call 247-2117.

Herald Staff