photos by David Halterman

There was a certain zip to the air in downtown Durango on Saturday morning as locals and tourists alike got their collective morning buzz on during the third annual Coffee Fest on 8th and Main. Celebrating the regions second-favorite beverage was the best part of waking up as people flocked to the event in droves, favorite mug in hand. The scent of roasted coffee beans (and roasted green chilis from the Farmers Market next door) filled the air as attendees traded their dopey morning stumble for a wide-eyed, bushy-tailed jitter. All proceeds went to the Durango Adult Education Center for adult literacy.

Above:The little beans that do it all sit waiting for a grind at a stand on Saturday morning. Raw coffee beans are actually green when removed from the coffee fruit, and develop their distinct color and aroma during the roasting process. Right: Several coffee junkies get their fix at the Durango Coffee Co. stand on Saturday. Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance on the planet; in America alone, nearly 90 percent of the population consumes caffeine on a daily basis. A stumbling crowd of zombiesque early birds cast long shadows down Eighth Street en route to their first cup o morning joe. Denverites Karen Longenecker, right, and Layne Schnider get right down in it like true connoisseurs during a coffee sampling clinic. Erick Morningstar, operations manager for Desert Sun Coffee Roasters, scrambles to get another batch brewing as the 10 a.m. crowd starts to gather on Saturday morning.