NEWS BRIEFS
You're watching Montezuma Local News. Watch all our stories at MontezumaLocal.NEWS. Download our podcasts, and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Send story ideas to ideas@thelocalnews.us. Advertise with us: Sales@thelocalnews.us

Pumpkin Fest returns to Montezuma Park in Cortez

10/27/2022

From trick or treating to seasonal cuisine to games and prizes, the Piñon Project’s Pumpkin Fest has it all. Holiday food drives are right around the corner. An upcoming home buyers education class can help prospective home buyers with the process. This story is sponsored by The Lor Foundation and Big O Tires

Learn More...

Read the Full Transcript

From trick or treating to seasonal cuisine to games and prizes, the Pinon Project's Pumpkin Fest has it all. A buyer's education class for prospective home buyers will be in Cortez on October 29th. And help a community pantry stock up for the holidays through a food drive. You're watching the local news roundup brought to you by the LOR Foundation and Big O Tires. I'm Wendy Graham Settle. Pumpkin Fest returns to Montezuma Park in Cortez on Saturday, October 29th. The party starts at 9 a.m. with the zombie run and cake walk. Other events include a costume contest and a trick-or-treat loop on Main Street. The carnival runs from 12:30 to 3:00, and $5 buys unlimited games. For more information or to register for the 5k zombie run, go to pinonproject.org. With November right around the corner, it's time to start thinking about helping those in need with their Thanksgiving meal. The Cortez Retail Enhancement Association is hosting its first holiday food drive on Saturday, November 12th. Organizers are asking residents to help stuff the bus with donations of nonperishable food. Suggested donations include canned, bagged and boxed goods in original packaging. Anything with packaging that's already been open will not be accepted. The drive is taking place at Safeway on East Main Street, beginning at 8 a.m. on the 12th. Donations will benefit the Good Samaritan Center Food Pantry in Cortez. Prospective homebuyers in Cortez can learn the ins and outs of homebuying and the possible pitfalls at a home buyers education class on Saturday, October 29th. The class will cover topics like budgeting, real estate, lending, insurance and inspections. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce Business Resource Center. Organizers ask that attendees not bring kids. Registration is $15. Email info@homesfund.org to sign up. That's it for this week's local news roundup. I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

PAST montezuma NEWS STORIES

April 29, 2026

Voices of the Past: Saving a Castle in the Clouds (Part 1)

Beverly Rich was born in Silverton in 1950 and has been involved with the local Historical Society since she was 14 — making her one of the most dedicated keepers of San Juan County's storied past. In her article, Rescuing Relics: Extreme Preservation and the Old Hundred Boarding House, she reflects on what made Silverton remarkable from the very beginning. Few people realize that Silverton is nearly ten years older than Durango, and that without Silverton, Durango wouldn't exist. In its heyday, this remote mountain town was the Silicon Valley of its era — a hub of technological innovation, incredible wealth, and relentless ambition. But like all mining towns, Silverton rode a cycle of boom and bust, its fortunes tied closely to World Wars and commodity prices. The hardest blow came in 1991 when the Sunny Side Mine shut down, taking half the town's population with it. What followed was a period of honest reckoning — and visioning. Silverton leaned into its two greatest assets: spectacular scenery and fascinating history. Today, for the first time ever, Silverton is no longer primarily a mining town. It has become a thriving high-mountain destination, with a booming recreation industry, rising property values, and a new generation discovering what Beverly Rich has known her whole life — this place is something special. The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel
Copyright © Local News Network Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy
JOIN OUR TEAM