Funds from several weekend events in Mancos will go toward the town’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display.
The roughly $8,000 show is funded entirely by donations, fundraising organizer Brandy Goff said. This year, Mancos Pizza Co., and the town’s branch of the Dolores State Bank will hold special fundraising events on Friday, and on Saturday the third annual 5K Independence Run will also support the display. The fireworks show itself will be free and open to the public.
All day Friday, Mancos Pizza will donate part of its sales to the fireworks show. The bank will hold a bake sale and silent auction from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the same day, featuring local art and products from local businesses.
Check-in for Saturday’s race begins at 7 a.m. at the Mancos Community Center. Early registration costs $10, and race-day registration is $15. In keeping with the July Fourth theme, there will be a “patriotic outfit” contest for runners and walkers, with prizes donated by local businesses.
Organizer Kaylee Rose said 60 people ran in last year’s race. The Independence Run comes the week after the Mancos Cowboy half-marathon, and Rose said she expects many of the same people who participated in the longer race to show up again.
“I think it adds to (Independence Day participation), because I advertise my race with those same runners,” she said.
All the town’s roads will remain open during the race, so Rose said runners and walkers should be mindful of traffic.
The fireworks display will begin at dusk on July 4. Members of the Mancos Fire Protection District will set off fireworks from Boyle Park and the school district bus barn simultaneously. Goff said people from as far away as Farmington have attended the display in the past, and crowds usually fill up the roads around the park.
“Some people park up higher in the mountains, because they can see all the displays in Mancos and Cortez at the same time,” she said.
Because the county will be under a fire ban starting July 1, only firefighters will be allowed to set off fireworks. Goff said they have postponed the event due to fire danger in the past, but she doesn’t expect that to happen this year.