Mancos school district engineering students have designed and built a parade float depicting the town's history for the Durango Snowdown Light Parade.
The float, created with teacher Richard Krueger as part of a project‑based learning initiative this semester, will participate in the annual parade on Main Avenue in Durango on Friday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m.
The 47th annual Snowdown festival runs from Jan. 23 to Sunday, Feb. 1. This year’s theme, “Uniquely Colorado – Then and Wow,” was chosen to celebrate 150 years of Colorado’s statehood. This year’s floats, costumes and activities are designed to highlight Colorado’s history and culture.
Mancos’ float starts with a covered wagon, reflecting the town's motto, “Where the West Still Lives.” It continues through other elements of Mancos and local history, including the Ancestral Pueblo people associated with Mesa Verde, Escalante settlers who introduced mining, a burro used for transporting mining supplies and cattle for Mancos’ rich agricultural history, the district said in an email announcement.
The design concludes with a representation of today, featuring the Mancos school district students who built the float and who attend the oldest continuously operating school in Colorado. The students also engineered custom lighting and music systems to bring the float to life.
A practice run for the float is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m., starting on Beech Street in Mancos.
