SAN LUIS VALLEY – With temperatures cooling and the feel of autumn in the air, now is the time to plan for outings in the beautiful San Juan Mountains to capture the amazing fall colors that are set to peak by the end of September, beginning of October.  

MONTE VISTA – The San Luis Valley Potato Festival is less than a week away. This year’s festival will be held on Sept. 7 at Chapman Park in Monte Vista. 

DEL NORTE – The Kent Rominger Airport in Del Norte has had a successful year, first rolling out the red carpet for their new fueling system and then launching a new program that helps track airport traffic 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

DEL NORTE – Rio Grande Hospital welcomed more than 200 people to its new Wellness Center on Saturday, Aug. 10, for the annual Keeping the Dream Alive fundraiser. People gathered inside and outside of the Wellness Center for an evening of appreciating and celebrating a year full of accomplishments.

DEL NORTE – The annual Covered Wagon Day festivities kicked off on Thursday, Aug. 2, with the opening of Kathy’s Fabric Trunk quilt show and a rocking good Grateful Dead cover band called Easy Jim that played the night away at the Del Norte Town Park. Though the lack of sidewalks was a hinderance for the northern side of the street, it did not stop hundreds of people from flocking to town to catch the annual Covered Wagon Days parade. Grande Avenue was lined with people of all ages in preparation for the coming festivities and the start of the parade featured this year’s Parade Marshal – Rio Grande County Clerk Cindy Hill.

DEL NORTE – As this busy summer begins to slide toward fall in the Valley, Del Norte is gearing up for its annual Covered Wagon Days and the four-day event is set to be a grand time for all.

DEL NORTE – Rhythms on the Rio, the San Luis Valley's largest and longest-running music festival, will return to Del Norte on Aug. 2-4. Organized by the South Fork Music Association, it has been held annually since 2006, except 2020 and 2021, to raise money to put musical instruments in the hands of San Luis Valley kids. Last year the event raised $15,000 for local school music programs.

MONTE VISTA – Country singing legend Wynonna brought that “true country bass” to kick off the 102nd annual Ski-Hi Stampede. During her 90-minute set, she sang “I Hear You Knocking,” “I Know Where I Am Going,” “Rock Bottom,” and “Hey Good Looking,” all the while speaking casually with the crowd throughout the evening.