Though set far from the bright lights of the big
city, La Plata County is certainly not devoid of culture.
Many residents selected La Plata County specifically
for its diversity of activities, amenities, people
and ideas, as well as the cohesiveness and caring
spirit traditional of most rural communities.
The county is a tri-ethnic community, which embraces
Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures. With
the Southern Ute Indian Tribal lands stretching across
a portion of La Plata County, residents and visitors
have opportunity to participate in annual celebrations
and festivals, as well as learn more about the history
of these people at the Tribal Museum in Ignacio.
With names like Rio de las Animas, Escalante Crossing,
San Juan Mountains and Santa Rita Park, Durango's
Hispanic roots are well documented. Still a vibrant
part of the community, the culture is celebrated at
annual festivals such as Fiesta Days and Cinco de
Mayo, and through the arts. Most recently, the Heritage
Mural "reCollections"-which salutes Durango's
history and was created by noted Hispanic muralist
Judith Baca-was installed adjacent to the Durango
Arts Center on 2nd Avenue.
Fort Lewis College alone lends a spirit of progressiveness
and youth to the fabric of the region. The acoustically
perfect Community Concert Hall, modeled after New
York's Carnegie Hall, presents a spectrum of musical
offerings, from traditional to cutting edge. The college
Art Center showcases local as well as national artists
and artisans, and the prestigious faculty reaches
out into the community through lectures, seminars
and more.
Music abounds at annual festivals ranging from the
internationally-renown classical series Music in the
Mountains, to the grassroots Durango Bluegrass Meltdown.
Live jazz, blues, swing, Celtic, country and rock-it
all can be relished in La Plata County. And when the
music isn't live, an eclectic mix is savored on one
of the country's most revered Public Radio stations,
now tuned in internationally through "streaming"
on the worldwide web.
From locally roasted coffee beans and gourmet natural
foods, to award-winning micro-brewed beer and authentic
Mexican pastries, great food is a given in La Plata
County. Indeed, La Plata County's agricultural heritage
thrives today through local farmers' markets and the
special "Taste of Durango" a gathering of
many local restaurants. Annually, the La Plata County
Fair shines the spotlight on tomorrow's farmers and
ranchers through 4-H Club competitions.
The annual Songwriters Expo, and the Durango Film
Festival celebrates up-and-coming international creative
talent. Many fine artists and photographers have naturally
flocked to the region, and their works are featured
in the dozens of galleries scattered throughout the
county and in the Durango Arts Center. Author Louis
L'Amour called La Plata County home, and many of his
classic Western novels were written from room 222
in Durango's Historic Strater Hotel.
From Durango's Snowdown winter festivities, and
the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, to Bayfield's Sheep
Festival and Ignacio's Iron Horse Motorcycle Rally,
indeed, life is an on-going celebration in La Plata
County.
top 
