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Ongoing Upcoming


Open Shutter Gallery to host ‘Holiday Showcase’

Vallecito Lake to host its annual holiday weekend
‘The Nutcracker’ returns to the Concert Hall

Submit items for On the Town to: 534 Main Ave., Durango, CO, 81301; fax: ( 970) 259-0448; e-mail: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com ; or fill out this form

Thursday9

La Plata Electric Association, 45 Stewart St., hosts a “Stuff the Kettle” green chili lunch from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy homemade green chili, fresh tortillas and a beverage for a donation to the Salvation Army of any amount. www.lpea.coop for details.

Robin Davis returns to the Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., at 5:30 p.m.

The Four Corners Fencing Club meets from 6-8 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 878 E. Second Ave. The club meets every Thursday. 759-1883 for details.

The Jeff Solon Jazz Duo plays the patio at Mutu’s, 701 E. Second Ave., from 6-9 p.m.

The FLC Woodwind Ensembles plays a 7 p.m. concert at Roshong Recital Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com for details.

Tyler G plays the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 7-11 p.m.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., hosts Salsa Night with salsa lessons and music from DJ Double D from 8 p.m.-close. 259-9018.

The Summit, 600 Main Ave., hosts Thirsty Thursday for the Hungry at 9:30 p.m. with music from the Congress. Cover charge is two cans of food, which will be donated to the Manna Soup Kitchen.

Friday10

The Durango Nordic Center opens for the season at 9 a.m. Because of early season conditions, the center is offering discounted trail fees. www.durangonordic.org for details.

Firefighters with Durango Fire and Rescue read “Fired-Up Stories” at 10:30 a.m. in the Storytime Room of the Durango Public Library. Kids can interact with fire equipment, props, firefighters’ clothes and the firefighters themselves. 375-3380 for details.

The Southwest Colorado Peace and Justice Coalition holds a peace vigil from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the corner of Main Ave. and 11th St. Signs will be available or bring your own. 259-4185 for details.

Rockin’ Randy plays the Derailed Saloon, 725 Main Ave., from 5 to 9 p.m. 90 Proof Pill goes on at 9 p.m.

Tim Guidotti plays the Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., beginning at 5:30 p.m. The singer-songwriter returns at the same time on Dec. 11.

Eric Kiefer plays happy hour at the Summit, 600 Main Ave., from 6-9 p.m. “Spin to Win,” a battle of the DJs, goes on at 10 p.m.

Gary B. Walker plays jazz piano at the Mahogany Grille, 699 Main Ave., at 6:30 p.m. 247-4433 for details.

Trina Benetts plays the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 7-11 p.m.

Center of Light Dolores presents “The Spiritually-Evolved Man and Woman” at 7 p.m. at the Durango

Tumbling Dice rocks the Billy Goat Saloon, located off Hwy 160 in Gem Village, at 8 p.m. 884-9155 for details.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., holds the Roller Girls calendar release party from 6-10 p.m. DJ Double D spins from 10 p.m.-close. 259-9018 for details.

Head for the Hills bring its “ancestral bluegrass” to the Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College, with special guest Kentucky Deluxe opening. Doors open at 9 p.m.

DJ PM spins dance beatz at Pongas, 121 W. 8^th St., from 9 p.m.-close. 382-8554 for details.

Saturday11

The Durango High School Native American Club and FLC’s Wanbli Ota host the 2^nd annual Durango Indian Market at DHS from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Artists from across the Four Corners will offer their arts and crafts for sale.

A special Holiday Farmers Market meets in the La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The event includes local produce, meats, artisan cheeses, honey, jams, jellies, holiday gifts and live music from Jonas Grushkin. www.durangofarmersmarket.org for details.

Center of Light Dolores presents “Being Light,” a talk by Mother Clare Watts about getting in tune, at 10 a.m. in Dolores. By donation. 882-2123 to RSVP.

Durango Community Acupuncture, 128 W. 14th St. next to the Discovery Museum, hosts a Holiday Food Bank Drive/Holiday Craft Fair from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

“Providing Solace,” a benefit sale featuring lightly worn and discounted new eco-friendly infant and toddler clothing, meets from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Kaleidoscope Wellness in Mancos. All proceeds benefit low income mothers and mothers-to-be. 946-5269 for details.

Wines of the San Juan, located at Navajo dam, hosts a holiday open house from noon-7 p.m., featuring barrel tasting, appetizers, a visit from Santa and more. Other shops, B&Bs and restaurants will offer their own specials. The event continues from noon-7 p.m. Dec. 12. 505-632-0879 for details.

Yogadurango, 1485 Florida Rd., offers a free yoga basics workshop at 1 p.m. No previous yoga experience is necessary. 946-8961 for details. 4

Ben Gibson plays a solo acoustic show at the Derailed Saloon, 725 Main Ave., from 5-9 p.m. Black Velvet, with Nina Sasaki, Larry Carver and Ben Gibson, goes on at 9 p.m.

Rupnow & friends play happy hour at the Summit, 600 Main Ave., from 6-9 p.m. The band Salem goes on at 10 p.m.

Greg Ryder plays the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 7-11 p.m.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., hosts a Naughty Elves and Snowbunnies Party with DJ Treazon spinning from 9 p.m.-close. 259-9018 for details.

Heavyweight Dub Champion brings hip hop, dancehall, dub and electronica to the Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College. DJ I-Gene, Peter Robot and Smiley Coyote open the 9 p.m. show.

CAS Uno, The Ephameracans, Ill Methods, Main Characters, All Day and DJ Tow Tone play Hip Hop Holidaze at Blondies in Cortez at 9 p.m.

Sunday12

The Four Corners Center for Spiritual Living presents a live stream of Michael Bernard Beckwith, of the Agape International Spiritual Center, at the Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., from 10-11:30 a.m. 247-2221 for details.

Durango Food Not Bombs (FNB) offers its weekly free vegan/vegetarian meal at 1 p.m. in Riverfront/Iris Park. www.foodnotbombs.net.

The Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., hosts its Gospel Brunch with music from the A-Men from 1-3 p.m. The Blue Moon Ramblers play their weekly gig beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Durango High School Music Dept. presents a community Messiah Sing-a-long at 6 p.m. at St. Columba Church, 1830 E. Second Ave. The show features the DHS Orchestra. 259-1630 x2102 for details.

Lacey Black plays solo piano at Mahogany Grille, 699 Main Ave., at 6:30 p.m. Black will play encore shows on Dec. 13, 14 & 15. 247-4433 for details.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., hosts Musica del Mundo, world music and dancing, beginning at 8 p.m. 259-9018 for details.

Monday13

Joel Racheff plays the Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., at 5:30 p.m.

A seminar on doing your own divorce and/or custody in Colorado meets at 6 p.m. at the Durango Public Library. The seminar is free, but anyone wishing to apply for the free book of forms and instructions is encouraged to arrive ten minutes early. 247-0266 for details.

Singer-songwriter Tim Guidotti plays the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 7-11 p.m.

An open-level Latin/Salsa Dance Party takes place at 8 p.m. at the Durango Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave. No partner necessary. 903-9402 for details

The 8th Ave. Tavern, 509 E. 8th Ave., offers its weekly Players and Singers Night from 9 p.m. to close. 259-8801 for details.

Tuesday14

Mill Street Brews, 25 W. Mill St. in Bayfield, offers its weekly Open Acoustic Jam beginning at 5 p.m. 884-7070 for details.

Mercy Regional Medical Center hosts its 8th annual Blue Christmas Service from 5:30-6 p.m. The service is geared toward people experiencing loss or difficulty and will feature readings, a time of remembrance, live music and a message of hope. 764-2340 for details.

Terry Rickard plays the Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., at 5:30 p.m.

Singer-songwriter Joel Racheff plays the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 7-11 p.m.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., hosts live music from Kentucky Deluxe from 8 p.m.-close. 259-9018.

Lady Falconburgh’s, 640 Main Ave., hosts Beer Bingo from 9-11 p.m. with prizes for each game.

Joel’s, 119 W 8th St., hosts Tuesday Trivia from 9-11 p.m. 385-0430 for details.

Wednesday15

Pediatric Associates of Durango, 1199 Main Ave., offers a free infant massage class for parents of newborns at 10 a.m. 259-7337 to register.

The Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., hosts auditions for “Happy Days” from 4-6 p.m. Prospective actors should come prepared with 32 bars of a song of your choice and a memory of Happy Days. 403-8000 for details.

The City of Durango hosts a 5 p.m. public hearing on the Animas River Trail North Extension at the Durango Recreation Center. A summary of issues, concerns and alternative trail routes will be discussed. 375-7322 for details.

Greg Ryder plays the Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., at 5:30 p.m.

Tom MacCluskey plays solo piano at the Mahogany Grille, 699 Main Ave., from 6-9 p.m. 4

An open bluegrass jam meets from 6-8 p.m. at the Durango Brewing Co., 3000 Main Ave. The circle gathers every Wednesday. 247-1264 for details.

Serving Life Chiropractic Studio, 1040 Main Ave., offers a free Wellness Wednesday Talk on health, life and well-being from 6-7 p.m. 422-2032 to reserve a spot.

The Durango Chess Club gathers for its weekly meeting at Durango Joe’s, 732 E. College, at 6:30 p.m.

Fort Lewis College Engineers Without Borders hosts a fund-raiser screening the documentary “Running Dry” at 7 p.m. in the Vallecito Room at Fort Lewis College. The film explores water shortages around the world, and donations will help offset the cost of local student volunteers’ work to bring clean water to villages in Laos and Ecuador.

Singer-songwriter Terry Rickard plays the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 7-11 p.m.

An open-level East Coast Swing Party takes place at 8 p.m. at the Durango Recreation Center. No partner necessary. 903-9402 for details.

DJ Daryll’s Karaoke/Gong Show returns to the Summit, 600 Main Ave., at 9 p.m.

Ongoing

The Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., stages “Christmas Presence,” a family musical comedy set in Durango written by Dinah Swan. The play shows at 7 p.m. on Dec. 10, 11, 17 & 18. Matinees are also set for 3 p.m. on Dec. 12 & 19. 259-2606 for details.

Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave., is again sponsoring the “Families Helping Families Holiday Book Drive,” which benefits the Family Center of Durango. Community members can select a card off of the book drive “tree” and purchase a book for a local child in need at a discount. The books will be presented at a “December Delights” holiday party Dec. 15. 247-1438 for details.

The Anasazi Heritage Center hosts an exhibition of artworks by local artist Keith Hutcheson through March 18. The show is a retrospective of Hutcheson’s work from the last quarter-century, a time spent exploring remote parts of public land across the Four Corners and the Colorado Plateau. 882-5600 for details.

Annie’s K-9 Orphans hosts its annual animal Holiday Giving Tree Fund-raiser through Christmas at: the Durango Mall, Kroeger’s, the Durango Animal Hospital, Creature Comforts, Healthy Hounds and Fat Cats, Pet Haus, Magpies, Brown’s Shoe Fit and other locations. Participants can pull a tag from the tree to benefit Durango’s No Kill Shelter. 759-8811 for details.    

Advantage Physical Therapy, 3600 Main Ave., is hosting a Blanket and Coat Drive to benefit the Durango Community Shelter and SW Safehouse. Donations can be dropped off through Dec. 17. Everyone who participates will be entered into a massage raffle. 259-7829 for details.

The Fort Lewis College Art Gallery hosts the Graduating Senior Art Majors Exhibition through Dec. 18. The show is a culmination of the FLC students’ coursework

Holiday Art Ole, an exhibit and sale of hand-crafted gift items by regional artists, returns to the Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave. Works in ceramics, photography, fine prints, collage, fiber, jewelry and other media will be featured in the exhibit/sale which runs through Dec. 24. The DAC Art Library also exhibits “Rarae Aves,” mixed-media sculpture by Amy Wendland, through December. 259-2606 for details.

Kassidy’s Kitchen, 171 Suttle Dr., displays the work of photographers MaryAnne Nelson and John Moore through Jan. 15. Works by La Plata County Fair Photography winners are also on display. 375-7877 for details.

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College presents “Treasures Unveiled: Extraordinary Items from the Vault of the Center of Southwest Studies.” The exhibit was developed by the Center of Southwest Studies to show the public a seldom-seen sampling of its artifact and archival collections. Also on display is “Mountain Lion!” 247-7456 for details.

Upcoming

“Race to Nowhere,” a film profiling the pressures of academic achievement, competition and performance, will show Dec. 16 at the Smiley Theatre. www.rtndurangoco.eventbrite.com for details.

Durango’s cowboy crooners will return to the stage at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College for the Bar-D Wranglers Christmas Jubilee on Dec. 16.

The local film series will continue with a Dec. 16 screening of “Reel Injun” in the Irish Embassy’s Ambassador Lounge. 247-3947 for details.

The 1st annual Elders’ Speak Conference, “Utilizing Elders’ Wisdom in the Modern World,” will meet Dec. 17 in Cortez. Panels of Native American elders will discuss retaining culture in the face of substance abuse and domestic violence. 739-1157 for details.

David Broza brings flamenco to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College on Dec. 17.

Fort Lewis College will host its Winter Commencement ceremony Dec. 18 in Whalen Gymnasium.

Trails 2000 and the Fort Lewis Cycling Team will present “Race Across the Sky: 2010,” a behind-the-scenes look at the Leadville 100, on Dec. 19 at the Smiley Theatre. The event is also a farewell for FLC Cycling Coach Matt Shriver, who is featured in the film. Tickets go on sale Dec. 9 at Maria’s Bookshop.

Durango Story Writers, a free workshop for writers, will begin meeting in downtown Durango on Mondays starting on Jan. 10. durangostorywriters@hotmail.com to register prior to Dec. 20.

The first annual First Night Durango, a New Year’s Eve celebration, will meet Dec. 31 in downtown Durango. The family-friendly event will feature a snowboarding competition, live music and dance performances, local food and beverages, sparkling wine and cupcake tasting, and more.

The Durango Arts Center Art Library will host “I Would Not Believe That Even If It Were True,” an exhibit by Jeff Madeen from Jan. 1-Feb. 26.

The Open Shutter Gallery will host its annual community show on Jan. 14-27 and is accepting submissions through Dec. 31. The theme this year is “ENTROPY: Chaos within the system.” www.openshuttergallery.com for details.

Music in the Mountains Goes to School is seeking students to submit poster artwork for the annual Strut Your Stuff musical talent show for ages 8-18. The theme of this year’s poster is Celebrate to Your Arts Content. Deadline is Dec. 31. 385-6820 for details.

Reggae will come to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College on Jan. 28 with a performance by the legendary band The Wailers and special guest Tomorrow’s Bad Seed.

Potluck, complete with an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, closes out the festivities from 5-8 p.m.

More information on the events is available by calling 247-1573.

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Open Shutter Gallery to host ‘Holiday Showcase’ What: A ‘Best Of’ exhibit featuring selections from the last 10 years Where: The Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave.   When: Dec. 10 - Jan. 13 with an opening party from 5-9 p.m. on Dec. 10 The Open Shutter Gallery will highlight the “Best Of” this holiday season. From Dec. 10 - Jan. 13, the gallery will exhibit its “Holiday Showcase,” featuring selections from the past 10 years of shows. “Holiday Showcase” will feature many familiar photographers from past shows such as Tony Stromberg, Nick Brandt, Lois Greenfield, Bob Francis, Mitch Dobrowner, Pentti Sammallahti and Phil Borges to name a few. Also on display will be some newer featured artists such as Heidi Lender, Michael Miner, Rebecca Barfoot, Steve McCurry, Tom Chambers, Joey L and others. As a special offering this year, the Open Shutter will display a collection of illuminating sculptures from local artisan Jeff Wise.   The show kicks off with the annual Christmas Party from 5-9 p.m. on Dec. 10, and food, holiday beverages and lively music will be on tap. Donations at the door will go to the Manna Soup Kitchen. For more information contact the Open Shutter Gallery at 382-8355 or visit www.openshuttergallery.com

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Vallecito Lake to host its annual holiday weekend What: A variety of seasonal events and activities in the nearby community   Where: All over the Vallecito Lake community   When:: Dec. 11-12 Vallecito Lake is going all out for the holidays this weekend. The nearby community has a host of activities on tap beginning early Dec. 11. The revelry gets under way at 1 p.m. on Saturday with a free Kids Christmas Party at the Blue Spruce RV Park. The 5th annual party runs through 3 p.m. and includes live music, sledding, games and prizes, a jumpy castle and, of course, a visit from Santa. Shortly thereafter, a Poker Run leaves the Schank House at 4 p.m., and riders should bring a nonperishable food item for entry. At 6 p.m., the Vallecito Church will screen “The Polar Express” and host the People’s Choice Decorating Contest. The Jelly Belly Boogie Band will close out the day’s festivities with a 7 p.m. show at the Schank House.     The next day, the Schank House will be the center of the action. Sleigh rides will be offered from 1-4 p.m., and a Christmas Carol Jam Session with Emily and Karen also kicks off at 1 p.m. A Wild Game Potluck, complete with an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, closes out the festivities from 5-8 p.m. More information on the events is available by calling 247-1573.

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‘The Nutcracker’ returns to the Concert Hall What: Four traditional performances of the Tchaikovsky masterpiece Where: The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College    When: Dec. 10-12, with shows at 2 & 7 p.m. The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College stages the quintessential holiday performance this week. The acclaimed State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara brings “The Nutcracker” back to Durango for two matinees and two evening performances. State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara was founded in 1994 and is known for its innovative choreography and unique style. The company has toured throughout the United States, as well as internationally in Taiwan and China. Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson holds true to the original classical ballet with a traditional “Nutcracker” set in Victorian times. This year’s performance includes sets from Russia and new costumes. In addition to the traveling company, 41 young dancers, ages 5-13, from throughout Southwest Colorado will perform. Tickets are available on the web at www.durangoconcerts.com, by phone at 247-7657, or at the Downtown Ticket Office located behind Magpies.

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