Durango’s First Night
Inaugural event puts local spin on New Year’s

SideStory: First Night at a glance

The Grand Snowflake hovers over downtown Durango on Tuesday. The 6-foot PVC masterpeice, built by Bicycle Lemonade’s Kristofer Pleszewicz, will descend twice during Friday’s First Night Durango festivities./ Courtesy photo.

by Missy Votel

It’s a first for downtown Durango. This Friday night, downtown boosters and businesses are coordinating efforts for the first-ever, official, city-sanctioned Durango New Year’s Eve celebration. Operating under the moniker “First Night Durango,” the festivities will include everything from kids crafts, snowboarding and beer, pizza and tacos to a V.I.P. sparkling wine-and-cupcake-affair, custom top hats and the coup de grace, the Grand Snowflake Drop (actually “Drops.”)

“We’re on fire,” said Durango City Councilor Christina Thompson, who is co-organizing the community party with Eco-Logic Events. First Night was the brainchild of Thompson, who saw a need for a more cohesive and comprehensive answer to the age-old conundrum of what to do for arguably the biggest party night of the year.

“A few years ago, we had some friends visiting from Hawaii over New Year’s, and there was nothing to do,” Thompson recalled. However, the flame for First Night wasn’t lit until Thompson visited Flagstaff, Ariz., for its annual downtown New Year’s celebration, where a giant pine cone is dropped from the sky. A few months later, Thompson found herself sharing an office with Carol Clark, of Eco-Logic, and bounced the idea for a similar celebration in Durango off her. “I said, ‘Let’s do something like Flagstaff, and throw something off the tower,’” Thompson said.

Never one to say “no” to an idea crazy enough that it just might work, Clark started the wheels turning even faster. “Last winter, when Christina mentioned the idea of dropping a snowflake, I said ‘Let’s do it,’” Clark recalled. She, like Thompson, remembered less-than-stellar ghosts of New Years’ past. “Last year, when I was watching Dick Clark (incidentally, no relation), it really dated me. I could barely stay awake,” she said. “Now, here we are.”

The two women began planning the event in earnest about four months ago, after securing the support of Alpine Bank, Durango Party Rental, Durango Mountain Resort, City of Durango, Durango Business Improvement District, Local First, Durango

The merriment will get under way at 7 p.m. Friday on the 10th and 11th blocks of Main Avenue, which will be closed to vehicle traffic all night. The snowboard expo, which will take place on 11th Street, kicks off at 8 p.m. The event is a joint venture between Inferno Snowboards, which is supplying the riders, and DMR, which is supplying the snow (although Mother4 Nature is expected to help out a bit as well.) “DMR will be bringing down 10 truckloads of snow beginning this Thursday,” said Clark.

The resort will also be trucking in its patrons, offering free bus rides into town for the Friday night revelry. In addition, the D&SNGRR will be making a special stop with its Cascade Train riders downtown Friday to take in the dropping of the Grand Snowflake. Which, incidentally, will make the plunge from the Crossroads Building clocktower twice that evening: once at 10 p.m. for the early-curfew crowd and once at midnight for the hard-core celebrants. The massive snowflake itself, a 6-foot gleaming masterpiece of PVC and lights, was built by Bicycle Lemonade’s Kristofer Pleszewicz.

Pleszewicz wasn’t the only one to lend his skills to the event. Local welder Dusty Bender stepped up to build the rails for the snowboard session, using donated steel.

“It’s amazing how many people have rallied for this,” said Thompson. Even Crossroads Building owner Phil Bryson got in on the action. “Phil Bryson was up there in his harness when we did the test drop with the snowflake last week.”

In addition to the main events, First Night will also include live music, dance performances by Salt Fire Circus and Mataholla Moon Belly Dance, fire spinners, jugglers, food, hot chocolate, beer and wine. People will be able to escape the chill with outdoor fire pits (manned by volunteer Durango firefighters) or seek refuge in the heated “Alpine Huts,” (aka tents) in the Alpine Bank parking lot. Although First Night is free, there is a $5 admission into the Alpine Huts, and kids younger than 12 are free. Inside the tent, families will find a “winter wonderland” full of games and activities. After 10 p.m., the “winter wonderland” gives way to “Last Night,” a 21+ nightclub with DJs.

For those adults wanting an unobstructed view of the snowflake drop and a more temperate locale to ring in the New Year, there is “Bubbly” – an evening of sparkling wine and cupcakes inside the Crossroads Building. Bubbly participants will receive a commemorative champagne flute, unlimited tastings and appetizers. There will also be a cash bar, classic photo booth and live music.

Proceeds from the night’s festivities will go to Local First, which supports locally owned independent businesses. “This is exactly the type of thing I want to promote for our town,” said Thompson. “It’s family friendly and showcases our downtown – the gem of our community – and feeds the local businesses.”

And last but not least, when the last snowflake has dropped and champagne cork popped, there will be Buzz Bus shuttles and free overnight parking in all city car parks. “We are concentrating on everyone staying in town and telling people to book a hotel room, ride your bike, walk – just don’t drive,” said Clark, adding that she hopes the first First Night won’t be the last.

“The website has gotten more than 1,200 hits from all over the region and country,” said Clark. “I think the event is going to be great and a keeper for Durango on New Year’s.”

And despite a projected return to decidedly more seasonal temperatures this week, Thompson shared the warm optimism. “I’m really excited,” she said. “My friends from Hawaii just flew in because I promised them a huge party.” •