Autumn Arts Festival a Go, Despite COVID

THANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWSNETWORK. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE TODAY, I’M JOINED IN THE STUDIO BYSPECIAL GUEST BRENDA MACON. SHE’S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THEDURANGO ARTS CENTER. WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT’S SO NICE TO BEHERE WITH YOU, WENDY. NOW YOU GUYS HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT COMING UP.TELL US ABOUT IT. YES, WE DO. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE CELEBRATING THE26TH ANNUAL DURANGO AUTUMN ARTS FESTIVAL, WHICH IS COMING UP ONSEPTEMBER 19TH AND 20TH ON, THAT’S A SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, FROM 10A.M.TO 5 P.M. ON EAST SECOND AVENUE BETWEEN COLLEGE AND NINTH STREET.GREAT. AND IS THERE ANY COST TO ATTEND THE EVENT? NO, IT IS FREE.FANTASTIC. AND HOW LONG HAS THIS EVENT BEEN GOING ON? WELL, THIS ISOUR 26TH ANNUAL EVENT. WE’RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE’RE ABLE TO MAKEIT HAPPEN THIS YEAR. AND WE’RE ALSO VERY GRATEFUL TO THE COMMUNITYFOR SUPPORTING US IN THIS INITIATIVE AND, AND GIVING SO MUCH OF THEIRTIME AND ENERGY, AND ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP MAKE THIS A GO.

AWESOME. AND WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAD TO DOIN ORDER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN DURING, YOU KNOW, THE TIMES OF COVID?CERTAINLY, THAT’S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. WE HAVE TAKEN SEVERALSAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS EVENT IS SAFE TO THEPUBLIC. YOU KNOW, THE VERY BEST THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW IS TO HAVEAN OUT-OF-DOORS EVENT. SO WE’RE REALLY HAPPY THAT THIS IS LIKE, VERYSIMILAR TO, THE FARMER’S MARKET, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT’S ALL OUTOUTSIDE. WE HAVE TAKEN AWAY THE INDOOR PARTS OF THE EVENT. SO THELIVE ENTERTAINMENT THAT WE USED TO HOST ON STAGE, WE WON’T BE DOINGTHAT. WE WON’T HAVE A CREATIVITY STATION FOR THE KIDS, AND WE WON’THAVE A FOOD COURT SO AS TO MINIMIZE ANY KIND OF CLUSTERED GATHERINGSOF PEOPLE, BUT WE DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PATRONIZE THE DOWNTOWNRESTAURANTS, AND SEVERAL OF THEM ARE SPONSORS OF THIS EVENT.

SOSTEAMWORKS BREWING COMPANY, BREAD, HIMALAYAN RESTAURANT, THEDANDELION CAFE, ZIA TAQUERIA. WE HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL RESTAURANTSTHAT HAVE OFFERED TO PARTICIPATE WITH US THIS YEAR. SO WE ENCOURAGETHE PATRONS TO GO AND GET SOME TAKEOUT FOOD FROM THOSE PLACES, ANDTHEN COME ON OUT AND SHOP WITH US. FANTASTIC. TELL US A LITTLE BITABOUT THE EVENT, YOU KNOW, THE TYPES OF ART, TYPES OF ARTISTS, THATARE SHOWING THERE, YOU KNOW, GIVE US A FLAVOR OF WHAT SOMEONE CANEXPECT IF THEY WANT TO COME CHECK IT OUT. CERTAINLY, WE HAVE ALMOST90 ARTISTS COMING FOR THIS EVENT, AND THEY ARE JURIED ARTISTS. SOTHESE ARE WONDERFUL ARTISTS WHO ARE NATIONALLY KNOWN, AND THEY’REGALLERY QUALITY OBJECTS OF ART THAT THEY’RE GOING TO BE BRINGING WITHTHEM. SO THERE’S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS. THERE’SJEWELRY, THERE’S TEXTILES, THERE’S POTTERY, CERAMICS, PAINTING,PHOTOGRAPHY, MIXED MEDIA.

AND WHAT I REALLY LOVE ABOUT THISSHOW IS THAT THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN ALL DIFFERENT BUDGETSAND ALL TYPES OF INTERESTS. SO IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO DO YOUR HOLIDAYSHOPPING A LITTLE EARLY, THIS IS THE PLACE TO COME FIND SOMETHINGUNIQUE FOR PEOPLE THAT YOU LOVE, AND YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING THAT YOULOVE FOR YOURSELF, TOO. AND FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OFPREPARING WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO EXPECT, DO THEY NEED TO WEAR AMASK? WHAT KINDS OF THINGS CAN THEY EXPECT? AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEYCOME INTO THE EVENT, I’M REALLY GLAD YOU ASKED THAT BECAUSE, AS PERTHE STATE ORDER, MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED, AND WE WILL PROVIDE MASKS TOANYONE WHO NEEDS ONE. LET’S SEE, WE WILL HAVE THE VENDOR TENTS SETSIX FEET APART, SO TO ENSURE FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, BUT OURVOLUNTEERS THIS YEAR WILL ALSO BE GIVEN POSTS AT THE CORNER OF EACHBLOCK TO HELP MODERATE THE NUMBER OF SHOPPERS PER BLOCK.

SO,WE’LL BE LIMITING THE NUMBER OF SHOPPERS SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HAVETHEIR OWN SPACES AS THEY SHOP, AND WE JUST KEEP A NICE TALLY, A GOODCOUNT, AS THEY GO THROUGH. WE WILL HAVE HAND-SANITIZING STATIONS SETUP THROUGHOUT THE THREE BLOCKS OF THE FESTIVAL. AND, BUT SEE, ITHINK, I THINK THAT’S IT. WE’RE ALSO GOING TO ROPE OFF THE SIDEWALKSSO AS TO KEEP THE EVENT ON THE STREET, SO IT SEPARATES THE TRAFFICFROM THE REGULAR SIDEWALK TRAFFIC. YEAH. WELL, IT’S SUCH A, AN, YOUKNOW, A HUGELY POPULAR EVENT EVERY YEAR, AND I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE ABLETO HAVE IT AGAIN THIS YEAR. I THINK ART IS DEFINITELY SO IMPORTANTDURING DIFFICULT TIMES. SO IT’S REALLY, YOU KNOW, GOING TO BE AHEALING THING THAT YOU COULD BRING THIS TO OUR TOWN. SO I’M GLAD THATIT’S, IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD BETHINKING ABOUT? WHERE OF, YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE MAKE THEIR PLANS TOCOME AND ATTEND? OH, ABSOLUTELY. WHY, FIRST, I’D LIKE TO JUST THANKOUR PREMIER SPONSOR, WHICH IS FOR SOUTHWEST BANK FOR HELPING MAKETHIS EVENT A SUCCESS YEAR AFTER YEAR. WE JUST LOVE THE GOOD FOLKSOVER THERE. AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR GOLD SPONSORS: ARE THE DURANGO MOTORCOMPANY, THE DURANGO SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD, THE BALLANTINEFAMILY FUND, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, ECOSPHERE, LIQUOR WORLD,SANTE, AND ZIA TAQUERIA. SO WE JUST WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANKS TOTHOSE FOLKS, AS WELL AS THE STEAMWORKS BREWING COMPANY AND ALL OF THEOTHER FOLKS WHO HAVE HELPED MAKE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS. WE ALSO JUSTWANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DURANGO ARTS CENTER IS DURANGO’S HOMEFOR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS. AND IT’S BEEN AROUND SINCE 1966, ANDTHAT’S NOT BY ACCIDENT.

SO WE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ARTS ANDARTISTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, RIGHT NOW, ARE IN A VERY CHALLENGINGSPOT. AND I WOULD JUST LOVE TO ENTREAT THE COMMUNITY THAT HASSUPPORTED US FOR SO LONG. IF EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN BECAME A MEMBER,EVEN AT THE $60 INDIVIDUAL LEVEL FOR THE YEAR, IT WOULD ENSURE THATWE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE WONDERFULSERVICES THAT WE’VE BEEN DOING FOR SO LONG. YOU KNOW, COVID, ISN’TGOING TO LAST FOREVER, AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARESTILL HERE WHEN THE DUST SETTLES SO THAT WE CAN BE THE PLACE THATEVERYONE DECIDES TO COME BACK TO AGAIN, TO CELEBRATE. WELL, IT TAKESA COMMUNITY TO PUT THIS EVENT ON, AND WE’RE SO GLAD THAT THECOMMUNITY COULD COME TOGETHER, AND WE COULD HAVE IT THIS YEAR. SOCONGRATULATIONS. I KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE A BIG SUCCESS. THANK YOU.ALL RIGHT. DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE ANNUAL AUTUMN ARTS FESTIVAL.IT’S GOING TO BE SEPTEMBER 19TH AND 20TH, SO WE’LL CHECK IT OUT.THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS WENDY. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWSNETWORK.

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