Today, for the Fourth of July, the Rio Grande Southern is hosting a backyard party and picnic. There will be live music on their outdoor patio with brats, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, beer and wine from 4 to 9 p.m. Come celebrate the Fourth here in Dolores.
Then this Saturday, July 6, there will be an all-day fireworks celebration at Groundhog Lake RV Park and Campground. Ralph Dinosaur will perform from 6 to 11 p.m. There will also be a tomahawk throw starting at 10 a.m., Navajo tacos, fry bread and pyro magic with Keenan Ertel. The fireworks start at dusk.
If you have new brochures or menus, or business cards please get them to us so we can display them in the visitor's center. Also if you have any special deals or events you are involved with, please let us know so we can get the word out for you. This service is absolutely free to all chamber members.
Well, the Fourth of July is here, and that means that our Escalante Days Celebration and Softball Tournament are just around the corner. The theme this year is "Dancing in the Streets." This year, Escalante Days will be Aug. 9 and 10, and there are still spots available for vendors. Call Ruby Gonzales at 882-7717, stop in the Visitor's Center or go on-line if you are interested in having a booth. It will start Friday afternoon and go all day Saturday.
Friday from 4 to 6:30 p.m., you can rock out with the timeless music of Louis Edwards and Yesterday. Louis has opened for Barbara Mandrell as well as other well known entertainers. Then on Saturday we will have a street dance to the music of Vanishing Breed.
Of course, Escalante Days will feature the usual events: a top-flight softball tournament, parades sponsored by the Montezuma Character Council, Galloping Goose rides, the Rotary Club's mountain bike race, the always popular Kiwanis Club Duck Race, chain-saw and arm wrestling competitions (this year sponsored by Riverfront Pizza), a live remote by D'Crow KKDC 93.3FM, as well as all the other family games that make Escalante Days the event of the summer.
Check out our Facebook site and you will see the latest picture from our June membership meeting at the Naked Moose and Business after Hours which was hosted by Soft Adventures Rafting. We frequently post new pictures there from our events and other things of local interest.
If you want to get to know your fellow Dolores residents, have some great food and refreshments, do some great networking and unwind from a busy day then you definitely want to check out our next monthly Business after Hours. The next one will be on July 25 at Four Corners Properties. In August it will be on the 22nd at the Rio Grande Southern on their outdoor patio; then Sept. 26 we will all meet at the Dolores River Campground formerly Dolores River RV Park, and for the final one of 2013 we will all converge at the 2nd Chance Thrift Store on Oct. 24th. The hours are 5 to 7 p.m. for every Business after Hours.
July 24 is the date for our next monthly membership meeting. The meeting will be at the Ponderosa starting at noon. Jay Mann from the Dolores Public Library will be our guest speaker. He will detail all of the new innovative programs he is kicking off in the library. Karma Coffee will host the membership meeting on Aug. 28.
Here are some other events planned for this summer:
July 27 - chili cookoff at Ground Hog Lake and RV Park.
Aug. 2-4 - annual Dog Agility Show in Joe Rowell Park.
Sept. 28 - Harvest Fest.
Contact the Chamber for more information about any of these events at 882-4018.