One of the many things that draws people to our little mountain town is the abundant natural beauty on display. From the grandeur of our mountains and our scenic hiking and biking trails, to our historically rich Animas River, we Durangotans tend to appreciate what the earth gives us every day.
But that’s no reason not to go hard on the official Earth Day celebration! And, once more, Durango is showing up for Earth Day in 2026.
Expect lively music from the Afrobeatniks, business and community organization booths galore, all featuring educational and fun activities and games for the family, like how to use natural colors from nature to color cotton, learning how solar and battery storage can reduce dependence on coal, an opportunity to go digging for worms, and so much more.
Festivities will kick off this coming Saturday, beginning on Main Avenue with Durango’s annual Earth Day Parade, featuring the always-popular Procession of the Species. Here you will find hundreds of people of all ages making their way to Buckley Park dressed in their favorite animal, plant, or fungi costumes. As one of the Earth Day organizers and participants, this is definitely one of my favorite parts of the celebration.
What’s Happening at Earth Day Durango 2026
For those of you wondering, here’s a brief synopsis of the day’s events:
- Date: Saturday, April 18th, 2026.
- Procession of the Species parade: starts at 10:30 AM on Main Avenue, beginning near the Train Station.
- Celebration at Buckley Park (1250 Main Ave): 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
- Enjoy booths, food vendors, family activities, sustainability workshops, and pet some cute goats!
- Free transit all day, provided by the City of Durango- walk, bike, bus, or carpool encouraged.
- Earth Day Durango is a zero-waste event.
- Local’s Tip: As parking on Main Avenue fills up fast, the free transit is genuinely worth using.
Beyond Earth Day: Earth Month in Durango
Here in Durango, we don’t just celebrate the earth on its special day. Our community stretches it out over an entire month; it’s a testament not only to our desire to serve the planet but also to our commitment to education and action on sustainability and the impacts of a changing climate.
If you’re looking for fun things to do in Durango this month, there are a plethora of activities planned throughout April, hosted by local groups in partnership with Earth Day Durango.
There’s still time to attend some of these events, such as:
- April 18th: Earth Day 5K run organized by the Durango Running Club and benefiting Compeñeros.
- April 22nd: Durango Montessori’s Electronics Recycling Event. A few things about this one! In 2022 alone, 5.3 billion mobile phones were discarded worldwide, and while e-waste makes up around just 2% of landfill volume, it accounts for 70% of all toxic waste. Despite this, only about 20% of e-waste is recycled each year. Kudos to Durango Montessori and to our town for addressing this incredibly important issue.
- April 22nd: Diné photographer and curator Raphael Begay will be giving an Artist’s Talk at the Center for Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College
- April 25th: Dr. Andrew Guilliford will join a conversation titled “Public Lands Patriotism: 150 Years of Colorado’s Federal Public Lands” at the Animas Museum at 1 pm. Those who cannot attend in person are encouraged to join via Zoom.
-For more events throughout Earth Month, check out the full schedule here.
Why Durango Takes Earth Day Seriously (and What That Says About This Community)
As a working parent in this community, it’s no surprise to me that so many people are moving from other parts of the country and state to Durango. I believe it’s rooted in something we share: a deep reverence for nature and a fierce commitment to protecting the wild spaces woven through the fabric of our town. It’s part of who we are.
In fact, just recently, our Durango City Council proclaimed the week of April 13-19, 2026, as Arbor Week, “*reaffirming the City’s commitment to urban forestry, environmental stewardship and the many benefits trees provide to the community.”
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And it’s no coincidence that Durango has been recognized for over four decades as a “Tree City USA” community. In fact, just this year, the City of Durango was honored with the Tree City USA Growth Award, recognizing our governance’s dedication to the maintenance and care of over 11,000 urban-dwelling trees within the city.
Additionally, our city takes sustainability seriously, with a formal Sustainability Division within the local government and a city-adopted Sustainability Plan. As outlined in the plan, the city tracks greenhouse gas emissions and water quality, and is working toward carbon neutrality.
The Kids’ Are Alright
Our community values are also reflected in our youth. The Durango High School Green Team is composed of students who are giving back through environmentally-related acts of service. This group of young adults promotes sustainability and education, often tackling school and community-related issues such as reducing cafeteria waste, increasing energy efficiency through a “Lights Off” campaign, and participating in Durango’s Earth Day events. (Pssst- look for their booth on Saturday at Buckley Park!).
What Earth Day in Durango Feels Like If You’ve Never Been
What does it feel like if you’ve never been to Durango’s Earth Day celebration? Allow me to paint the picture:
You wake up on a brisk, sunny morning in Durango and head downtown (walking or riding your bike there, of course). Ideally, you’re dressed up as a sunflower or a narwhal. You grab a coffee and a homemade lemon poppyseed scone to-go from Hermosa Cafe as you make your way toward a gaggle of other animals, plants, and fierce fungi to join the Procession of the Species Parade.
Everyone heads down Main Avenue towards Buckley Park, where you begin to hear the melodious grooves of The Afrobeatniks setting the tone for the day. You wave to a neighbor dressed up as a lark bunting, Colorado’s state bird, and continue to make your way with the crowd. Suddenly, as you approach Buckley Park, someone hands you a native plant seedling. Friends and soon-to-be-friends are all around as you weave your way through colorful displays and booths. You stop at one and learn how to be smarter than the average bear when it comes to managing potential food attractants. At another booth, you learn the secrets of proper composting and worm vermiculture, all while joyful kids dart between activity stations. It becomes very clear that this is a town chock-full of people who love where they live. It’s Durango at its best. And for some reason, you can’t stop smiling….
Come See It For Yourself
If you’ve never attended Durango’s Earth Day Celebration, I highly recommend it. I’m proud to be a member of the organizing committee for this event, and it’s one of (many) annual Durango events that I wouldn’t miss.
And if you don’t currently live in Durango but would like to chat about what it actually looks like to put down roots here, I’d love to have that conversation with you.
Happy Earth Day!
