Alamosa News

By: By Lyndsie Ferrell

Updated: 4 days ago / Posted Aug 2, 2023

DEL NORTE — It is hard to believe that the summer is quickly coming to a close and that the annual Covered Wagon Days celebration is just a few weeks away. This year events will take place beginning on Aug. 3 with two quilt shows coming to town and then three days of fun and activities for the family.

These quilt shows highlight local talents of quilters from around the Valley and beyond. Kathy’s Fabric Trunk is always an intriguing and fanciful place to visit even when a quilt show is not taking place but when the quilts are brought out and hung along the walls, it transforms into a quilter’s dream. Kathy’s Fabric Trunk Quilt Show runs through Saturday, Aug. 5.

The San Luis Valley Quilt Guild will once again be gracing the halls and show rooms at the Rio Grande County Museum with their assortment of quilts that they have worked on for several months. Each year, the quilt guild prepares what are called Challenge Quilts for different categories, and these are on display for two weeks beginning Aug. 1. People that come to the show are encouraged to vote for their favorite.

Friday will feature the annual Veteran’s dinner and auction which will be held at the High Valley Community Center this year. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. and raises funds for the Homelake Veterans Center in Monte Vista. Tickets for this event will be available for purchase at the door.

Saturday is packed full of events that kick off at 7 a.m. with the Val Alto pancake breakfast at the High Valley Community Center and the Bees Knees 5k run. The starting line and registration will also be at the community center.

As people finish breakfast, they can go to the annual Del Norte Public Library book sale and support the community organization. All proceeds from these events go toward community funded projects.

At 9 a.m. there will be a car show at the Del Norte Town Park and a merchant open house all along Grande Avenue. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. and this year’s theme is “Through the Ages”. Parade participants will be decorating floats with 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s themes.

At 11 a.m., the Del Norte Fire Department serves barbecue off the grill for its annual fundraiser. After lunch at the fire department, people can visit the Rio Grande County Museum for its annual ice cream social and fundraiser that will help preserve the Barlow and Sanderson Stagecoach and Stage Office.

Afterward, and as the warm afternoon hits the streets of Del Norte, adults can have a beer at the new beer garden and then take a tour of the Historic Windsor Hotel.

The park will busy with plenty for people to do — enjoy the car show, participate in corn hole, volleyball, and horseshoe tournaments, and shop the many vendors that will be set up.

The weekend will end with the annual fly-in breakfast at the Kent Rominger Airport and church in the park.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit www.coveredwagondays.com or visit them on Facebook by searching Covered Wagon Days.