Early bird price still available for Headwaters Hoedown

LA GARITA — There is still time to get the early bird price of $30 for the conservation celebration of the year, for tickets bought by September 15th! (Kids 16 and under are free!) The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) invites the whole community to the seventh annual Headwaters Hoedown on Saturday, September 23rd from 1-5 p.m. The hoedown will be held at the beautiful La Garita Creek Ranch, on the west side of the Valley, just south of Penitente Canyon and west of the La Garita Store.

Hosted by the ranch owners, the Carruthers Family, and manager, Mike Spearman (also RiGHT’s board chairman), the La Garita Creek Ranch is locally known as the “Balloon Ranch”, thanks to its history of holding ballooning events. This is a chance for friends and supporters to enjoy the beauty of this private ranch – another beautiful property that is on track to be conserved.

Weather permitting, attendees will be enjoying the afternoon in a meadow tucked between the creek and the fascinating canyon walls, framing the view across the valley to Mount Blanca and the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. And the ranch’s guest lodge is available for back up, if the weather is not so favorable. Either way, it will be a lovely place to gather, to listen (and dance!) to the fabulous music of Don Richmond and the Rifters, and to enjoy a barbecue from Pepita Catering, with plenty of fine wine and beer. The ever-popular silent auction will offer fabulous items from local artists, businesses and adventurers, from special fishing trips to dinners and theater tickets to ski lift tickets -- and more.

To also take advantage of the special location, guided archaeological tours will be offered to a few of the amazing sites right on the ranch. Please sign up in advance to reserve a spot on a tour!

A highlight of the afternoon is RiGHT’s 2017 “Save the Ranch” campaign, with this year’s featured property being the spectacular 1,130-acre Olguin Ranch in Conejos County, through a partnership with Western Rivers Conservancy. This is a chance for the community to invest directly in conservation, helping RiGHT to complete protection of the ranch’s spectacular scenery and important wildlife habitat along both the Rio Grande and the Conejos River.

“Here at RiGHT, we are grateful to the landowners who choose to conserve their land with us,” said RiGHT’s Executive Director Nancy Butler. “We know that conservation is only achieved with the help of our community and partners. We appreciate everyone who has been part of this effort since 1999. Along with our community, we think the Valley is a very special place — and we know that if we continue to work together, we can keep it that way!”

For more information, directions, and to get the early bird price of $30 (the price goes to $40 on September 15th. Kids 16 and under are free), please visit www.riograndelandtrust.org or call the Del Norte office at 719-657-0800. 

Caption: Don Richmond and the Rifters make fabulous music in support of conservation at the Headwaters Hoedown! Courtesy photo