You are invited to the 22nd annual Spanish Fiesta on July 27, sponsored by Archuleta Seniors Inc. (ASI).
This year we celebrate “La cultura cura!” — a transformative health and healing philosophy that recognizes the importance of cultural values, traditions and Indigenous practices on the path to healthy development, restoration and lifelong well-being.
Enjoy the 22nd Annual Spanish Fiesta in Pagosa Springs, where Spanish, Mexican, Native American and Anglo cultural traditions intertwine to create the strong heritage we have today here in Southwest Colorado.
Food, music, dancing, libations, vendors, color and good company provide the ingredients of a party to delight all the senses and to make memories for a lifetime.
This year is the 22nd anniversary of the Spanish Fiesta in Pagosa Springs after being dormant for some 20 years before it was revived in 2023.
The Spanish Fiesta committee of ASI is working to make this year memorable.
The headliner for the day’s activities will be the famous New Mexican artist Darren Cordova and his band Y Calor at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds.
Activities will begin at 3 p.m., but come earlier to get your seat and enjoy authentic Hispanic cuisine of southern Colorado and northern New Mexican plus a variety of other food trucks, artisan vendors, music from Candace Vargas and Northern 505, and folklorico dance performances from local artists.
We will feature scholarship recipients, the Spanish Fiesta royalty and the Archuleta County Fair royalty.
Proceeds from this event will support older adults of Archuleta County through the services of ASI and an intergenerational BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) youth and elder scholarship fund.
Admission is for an afternoon and evening from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. filled with fun for all. Tickets will go on sale in late April. Interested in volunteering, being a sponsor or vendor? Please call (970) 264-2167.
Spanish Fiesta royalty update
Please join us on April 13 at the Archuleta County Extension building as we bring back the timeless tradition of Spanish Fiesta royalty.
Archuleta County’s Hispanic and Latino youth will compete for the coveted positions of king/queen to junior prince/junior princess.
Let’s support our youth in keeping the traditions of our Hispanic, Latino and Archuleta County heritage alive.
Purchase tickets from 1 of the 15 contestants at https://givebutter.com/SFRoyaltyCompetition.
Join us for an enchilada dinner and the Spanish Fiesta royalty competition from 5 to 7 p.m.
There will be live music featuring Los Mitotitos starting at 7:30 p.m. Crowning of our 2024 royalty will take place between 9 and 10 p.m.
The proceeds will benefit the Spanish Fiesta royalty youth. The Spanish Fiesta royalty committee seeks to provide our Hispanic and Latino youth in Archuleta County the opportunity of representing their community and celebrating their cultural heritage as well as providing them with numerous learning opportunities and valuable leadership skills.
For more information, contact ASI at (970) 264-2167.
Fresh local produce for older adults to be
available this summer
This 2024 growing season, ASI and Terrawalk Farms are partnering with Nourish Colorado to bring low-income older adults (age 55 and older) in Archuleta County locally grown, seasonal, organic produce shares through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
CSAs, or farm memberships, are a means of creating a mutually beneficial connection between consumers and their farmers. These partnerships result in a bi-monthly bounty of vegetables for the subscriber.
If you are interested in participating in this free fresh produce program, you must meet one of the minimum requirements to be selected as a subscriber: being a new or current client of ASI through our congregate, Meals on Wheels, or pick up/Grab-N-Go meal program, or being a resident of the low-income senior housing community (Socorro, Archuleta Housing for the Elderly, Casa De Los Arcos or Lake View Estates).
Participating subscribers will receive a fresh, local, organic produce box alternating weeks throughout the growing season, which spans from June 2 to Sept. 29. Subscribers will pick up their bi-monthly fresh produce boxes either on site at the Ross Aragon Community Center on Tuesdays or at a to-be-determined location on the weekends. Details are still being finalized and subscribers will be notified.
In addition to your weekly food, you will receive the following perks:
• A quarterly newsletter that includes simple, relevant recipes, musings and photos of the farm you support.
• The opportunity to directly support young farmers.
• Optional opportunities to learn and work on the farm. There will be two community days throughout the season. One will be in July and the other in September.
• Attend monthly recipe tastings during ASI’s upcoming Fresh Conversations nutrition education and healthy aging circles from April through September.
Please call (970) 264-2167 or stop by the ASI office at 451 Hot Springs Blvd. to sign up to be considered for this Older Adult Fresh Local Produce Box program.
The first 30 interested clients who meet the minimum requirements will become subscribers and will be eligible to receive their fresh produce boxes throughout the growing season of 2024.
For more information, contact us at (970) 264-2167.
Senior Discount Card
The Senior Center is continuing its annual tradition of providing a local discount card for those ages 60 and better.
The discount card encourages seniors to support local recreational, restaurant, medical and retail services by obtaining a senior discount card for a small fee that serves as a fundraiser for ASI.
These local businesses provide a discount ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent off services.
For more information, visit http://www.psseniors.org/discount-club.html or stop by our offices at 451 Hot Springs Blvd. to pick up your card. For more information, contact us at (970) 264-2167.
Healthy aging yoga
therapy class series
This winter, a healthy aging yoga series will be offered as a hybrid class at the Senior Center on Mondays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Classes will be structured by therapeutic yoga tools and techniques with chair movement, standing stretches, gentle postures, breathing practices and reflective meditative moments.
Monthly themes for the series will include topics such as sustainable strength for healthy aging individuals, brain health, heart and cardiovascular health, mental and emotional well-being, community connections, and stress management, to name a few.
Classes will be educational for participants to utilize practices in daily life and are meant for all levels of experience with yoga.
The class is hosted by local yoga therapist AJ Connors, with a hybrid focus for the winter months, blending in-person, online and, occasionally, recorded classes. Zoom sessions will be streamed at the Senior Center to provide the community experience to practice together or can be accessed at home if weather is a factor.
Mats and chairs will be provided at the Senior Center; some blocks and Therabands are available, too. The addition of yoga props is always welcomed.
We are requesting that individuals who are new to joining the series arrive early for intake inquiries and to please communicate with AJ directly by emailing ajconnorslove@gmail.com.
T’ai Chi Chih
The Senior Center will be offering T’ai Chi Chih with accredited instructor Patti Popovich each Thursday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the dining hall to support older adults who want to discover purpose and fulfillment in this transitional phase of life.
T’ai Chi Chih is not a martial art, but rather a tool for self-healing. Softness, flow and effortlessness are the guiding principles in this practice.
All classes will be free for older adults (age 60 and better) and will last approximately one hour in the dining hall.
No special clothing or equipment is required.
For more information, call (970) 264-2167.
Senior Conversations
Join us Mondays at 1:15 p.m. for a series of “Senior Conversations” with local Bill Salmansohn.
He will lead the group through mindfulness exercises and discussion of various topics pertaining to aging in Archuleta County. Explore and discover for yourself answers to your questions and concerns.
The meeting will be held in the Senior Center in the dining hall. Snacks will be provided.
Share lunch Monday through Friday
Join us at the Silver Fox’s Den, aka the Community Cafe, in person for daily hot/cold meals Mondays through Thursdays at the Community Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It is open to all. Pickup is available all week, including Fridays.
Our dining hall is open to all ages and welcomes you all with kindness and warmth. We provide hot/cold meals for anyone in the community interested in a nutritious and delicious meal. For those 60 or older we request a suggested donation of $6, but no one will be turned away. There is a $10.50 charge for guests under the age of 60.
To reserve your meal for the day, please make your reservation via text or phone call to (970) 264-2167 by 9 a.m. weekdays.
Community Cafe menu
Thursday, March 21 — Sliced ham with cherry sauce, scalloped potatoes, garden salad, fruit, vanilla cake and milk.
Friday, March 22 — Stuffed portabella mushroom caps, roasted cauliflower, garden salad, fruit, Bavarian cream puffs and milk.
Monday, March 25 — Beef Marsala with mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, roasted beet blend, garden salad, cottage cheese, fruit and milk.
Tuesday, March 26 — Greek spanakopita pie with spinach and feta cheese, white bean shakshuka, garden salad, fruit, brownies and milk.
Wednesday, March 27 — Thai chicken with peanut sauce, sugar snap peas, brown rice, chai pudding, garden salad, fruit and milk.
Thursday, March 28 — Pork ziti pasta with marinara sauce, broccoli, focaccia bread, garden salad, fruit, carrot cake and milk.
Friday, March 29 — Crispy codfish with tartar sauce, glazed carrots, garden salad, strawberry rhubarb crisp and milk.
Grab-N-Go meals
Dine-in and Grab-N-Go meal reservations and cancellations are required. Please call or text by 9 a.m. the morning of the day you want to pick up a meal. A suggested donation of $6 helps to sustain our program. For ages 59 and younger, the cost is $10.50. No one will be turned away for their inability to donate. Please call or text us at (970) 264-2167 to make a reservation.
Text reservations
Don’t forget that we offer a convenient texting service for you to communicate with us. Text us at (970) 264-2167. When texting, please include your name, phone number and the days you want a meal. If you are canceling a reservation, please include your name, phone number and the days you want to cancel.
Texting services are available for dine-in meal reservations, Grab-n-Go meals and Meals on Wheels recipients.
COVID-19 test
kits available
Stop by the Senior Center to pick up a pack of six free COVID-19 tests kits for your personal use. These kits are available to anyone in the public who needs affordable access for health promotion and disease prevention.
Mahjong
Mahjong is a 19th century Chinese tile-based game that is commonly played with four players. Each player receives 13 tiles with a goal to make matching sets and pairs (like poker). To win, a player must form four sets and one pair.
Come to the Senior Center to learn or play every Tuesday at 1:15 p.m.
Medicare call by
appointment
For anyone who needs help enrolling and navigating Medicare plans, the San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging helps with parts A, B and D. They can also help you with fraud concerns and troubleshooting any billing issues you may be having. By appointment only. Please call the Medicare line at (970) 264-0501, ext 2.
