Leaf peeping season is just around the corner. The San Juan National Forest has announced the forecast for the annual change of leaves. Cowboys are descending on Durango for the weekend for the 35th Cowboy Gathering. And mark your calendars for the Fort Lewis College Homecoming Week and Tailgate Come support the Skyhawks at the family friendly event. You’re watching the Local News Roundup, brought to you by Tafoya Barrett and Associates and The Payroll Department. I’m Wendy Graham-Settle. The fall colors are casually creeping closer. If you’d like to catch the red, orange, and yellow hues of turning leaves this fall, the San Juan National Forest has released its fall color report for 2023. And this year, the change is just a few days later than usual. In fact, peak foliage dates rarely shift by more than a few days. Dolores will be one of the latest regions in the Colorado to change in mid-October. Although depending on the elevation, colors may be changing sooner than later. The fall foliage prediction map online is a great tool for planning your viewing excursions. The 35th annual Durango Cowboy Gathering will take place Thursday, September 28th through Sunday, October 1st at locations around Durango. Cowboy poets and musicians from across the West gather to celebrate poems and songs that capture the spirit of the American West. Tickets and the events scheduled can be found online at Durangocowboygathering.org. Come celebrate Fort Lewis College Homecoming 2023, October 9th through the 15th. The community homecoming tailgate is Friday, October 14th at the Ray Dennison Memorial Field. KDUR is sponsoring the music, and there will be bouncy houses, contests, food, and more starting at 10 a.m. Register online for a free ticket to the game against Colorado Mesa State and a day full of family fun. Alumni who register will get a free meal and beer ticket to Steamworks for after the game. Find the full homecoming schedule online. Kickoff Spoketober at Durango Hot Springs. Internationally renowned singer songwriter Anthony D’Amato headlines the Hot Springs concert featuring local talent throughout the evening. The concert starts at five p.m. on Wednesday, October 4th. The concert is free to Durango Hot Springs pass and card holders and with general admission to the Hot Springs. Prizes and giveaways run by Visit Durango staff will go throughout the evening concert An out of date page on the City of Durango’s website, announcing a Hazardous Waste Collection might have caused confusion. The event is held every other year, and the page referenced the 2022 collection event. The Hazardous Waste Collection is run by the city of Durango and La Plata County, and last fall collected 85,000 pounds of waste. The next event will occur in the fall of 2024. However, residents are encouraged to contact city counselors and county commissioners if they would like to see more events of this type offered more frequently. Learn more about these and other stories online at DurangoLocal.News. Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Roundup. I’m Wendy Graham-Settle.
