WinterFest will return Friday through Sunday, Jan. 16-18.
WinterFest, brought to you by the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, stretches across three days with events centered at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds and uptown.
The festival blends classic mountain-town traditions with newer attractions to create a family-friendly celebration of the coldest season.
The festivities start Friday evening, Jan. 16, with a community bonfire and live music at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds.
A new Battle of the Soups invites local restaurants and home cooks to ladle up their best recipes as visitors sample, vote and warm their hands beside the flames. For $10 you receive six 4-ounce samples of some of the best soup in Pagosa Springs.
The bonfire and live music will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds. The Battle of The Soups winners will be announced at 7 p.m.
Balloons, plunge and Nordic fun
On Saturday and Sunday mornings, residents and visitors are encouraged to look to the skies as a mass hot air balloon ascension lifts off from the Pagosa Lakes area, filling the winter sky with color above the snow-covered peaks. Viewing begins around 8:30 a.m., and spectators are asked not to park along U.S. 160.
Saturday also brings a full slate of fun.
The BB Gun Biathlon will be held at Alberta Park at Wolf Creek Ski Area. Registration will be 8:20 to 10:15 a.m. at the very back of the Tranquility parking lot. Race times begin at 10 a.m. For more information, go to pagosanordic.com/bb-gun-biathlon/.
The costumed Barkus Parade, presented by Rugby’s Rescue House, will turn Town Park and the Riverwalk into a runway for dressed-up dogs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
In the afternoon, the Penguin Plunge at the Visitor Center will begin at 1 p.m. Registration will begin at noon. This event challenges hardy locals and nonprofit fundraising teams to dive into the icy San Juan River while onlookers’ cheer from the Riverwalk.
Sunday morning will continue the balloon spectacle uptown beginning around 8:30 a.m., and spectators are asked not to park along U.S. 160.
The hot air balloon ascensions are free to attend both Saturday and Sunday.
For a full schedule, tickets and volunteer opportunities, please reach out to the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce at (970) 264-2360 or online at pagosachamber.com.
Whether plunging into the San Juan or simply sipping cocoa under a sky of balloons, WinterFest is definitely not an event to miss.
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