photos by Todd Newcomer

Coffee lovers gathered in support of the Durango Adult Education Center and to celebrate their favorite caffeinated beverage on Saturday at Durango's first-ever CoffeeFest.  Durango coffee vendors were on hand greeting early birds with a smile and a steaming hot cup of coffee.  Live music by a variety of artists and a picture perfect morning kept the cordoned off section of 8th Street alive with a constant flow of people and energy.  Coffee workshops began at 9 a.m., educating passersby on the benefits and techniques of brewing the perfect cup of coffee.  With a variety of rich blends being brewed all morning long, the avid coffee drinker didn't leave downtown without a smile and well-earned buzz.  
A cup of unroasted coffee beans sits on display before one of the morning workshops at CoffeeFest on Saturday morning in downtown Durango.  Jim Wilson entertains the early morning crowd Saturday.   Janet Zwiebel and Barry Cohen sample the variety of roasts being offered on a caffeinated Saturday morning.   Coffee beans hang from a Hawaiian coffee plant at the workshop booth Saturday morning. Sara Herrick works the Durango Joe's booth Tuesday.   Christian Manzanares, of the Children's Museum, enjoys the sun on a cool Saturday morning before the crowds arrive. Ben Lehman embraces the aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee at the Desert Sun booth Saturday morning.