Snowdown 2027 runs Friday, January 29 through Sunday, February 7, with the theme "Chillin' With My Villains." If you are a local, three dates matter now: October 31 for businesses and groups to submit events, November 13 for Fashion Do's and Don'ts model applications, and January 22 as the cutoff for Light Parade floats. The parade can fill up before that.
Dates and deadlines come from snowdown.org, checked October 16, 2026. Confirm them there before you commit money or time.
What is Snowdown, and why do locals care?
It is Durango's winter festival, and it started with a mood problem. According to Snowdown's own history, the town was low on winter cheer in 1979. Founder John Murrah pitched a celebration to local business leaders and The Durango Herald, which seeded it with $2,000.
The 2027 festival is the 48th, according to the Herald. The group is already recruiting a 50th anniversary planning committee, per its volunteer page.
The big 2027 dates, from the festival's home page:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Follies shows | Jan. 29 and 30, Feb. 5 and 6 |
| Fashion Do's and Don'ts | Feb. 3 |
| Light Parade | Feb. 5 |
| Outlaw Josie Pete's Golf | Feb. 6 |
| Chili Cookoff and Bloody Mary Contest | Feb. 6 |
Snowdown says details for the golf event and the cookoff will be posted in late 2026.
How do I dress for "Chillin' With My Villains"?
Pick a fictional villain. That is the one firm rule. Organizers told The Durango Herald that costumes should be fictional characters from movies, cartoons or comic books, not real-life villains. Board member Dave Imming put it plainly: there are enough villains in the world already.
Start early. Imming also noted that Spirit Halloween was already telling shoppers to grab their Snowdown costumes. For secondhand pieces, try the local consignment shops, such as Second Time Around and NoMAD Consignment Thrift Local Art.
Shan Wells, who has now drawn 13 Snowdown posters, told the Herald he made his 2027 villains recognizable but not identical to their copyrighted versions. His poster shows cold-themed villains lounging in a chill tub, with the Rocket Drive-In playing "Robot Monster" behind them. Take the hint. Raid comics, cartoons and 1950s and 1960s movies, and nobody will check your outfit against the original.
How do I get into the Light Parade?
Of everything Snowdown does, the Light Parade is the big one. Durango has no other parade after dark, and on Friday, February 5, at 6:00 p.m., Main Avenue glows from 5th Street to 12th under up to 60 lighted floats.
The parade page lays out the process: apply with your float, safety officer and vehicle, pay online, then wait for an acceptance email. Fees as posted:
| Entry type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard float | $150 |
| Nonprofit (proof of status required) | $125 |
| Schools and children's organizations | $125 |
| Each additional vehicle | $100 |
Entries stop at 60 floats. Snowdown says most of last year's entries came in during the final two weeks. The Herald reports the cutoff is January 22 or whenever entry 60 arrives, and organizers ask for early applications because it helps them plan.
Judges look at lights first. You'd expect that from a light parade. Throwing candy is out, though, because a city ordinance bans tossing anything from floats. Hand treats across the barricades instead. And if you want a second truck, it costs $100 and has to be on your application up front.
What is the countdown between now and Snowdown?
Mark these on a calendar. Each one comes from Snowdown's site or the Herald:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| October 31, 2026 | Businesses and organizations submit events |
| November 13 | Fashion Do's and Don'ts model applications close |
| December | Ska Brewing releases the official Snowdown beer |
| January 22, 2027 | Light Parade float cutoff, or sooner if 60 entries arrive |
| January 29 | Snowdown opens with the first Follies show |
| February 3 | Fashion Do's and Don'ts |
| February 5 | Light Parade |
| February 6 | Outlaw Josie Pete's Golf, then the Chili Cookoff and Bloody Mary Contest |
| February 7 | Final day |
Nothing there needs a plan before Halloween except the first row, and only if you run a business.
How can my business take part?
Submit an event. The event submission portal opens September 1 and closes October 31, so you have two weeks as this guide goes live. The portal's own instructions answer most questions.
Other ways in:
- Enter a float. Businesses, nonprofits and schools all appear in the entry fee table above.
- Underwrite the parade. Snowdown sells a limited number of front-of-parade underwriter spots. Perks include a logo on the spectator guide and a name call-out at the judges' station. Contact the festival for terms.
- Donate prizes. Volunteers solicit prizes from local merchants for Snowdown events, and the pickup window falls in early to mid-January.
- Tie into the beer. Ska Brewing releases the official 2027 Snowdown beer in December. Find the brewery in our brewery category, at Ska Brewing Co.
If you run a shop on Main, plan for the parade closures below.
Where do I park and how do I get downtown on parade night?
You probably shouldn't drive. Organizers say walking or biking is best of all, and the parade starts after dark, so bundle up. If you do drive, here's the rundown from the parade page:
- Main Avenue starts closing at 2:30 p.m. (You can still cross at College and at 9th Street until 4:45 p.m.)
- City lots and the Transit Center turn free after 5 p.m. Read the signs, though. A car parked next to a No Parking sign gets ticketed and towed.
- Take the free shuttle from the Fairgrounds to the Transit Center, running 3 to 9 p.m.
- The city trolley and buses are free Wednesday, February 3 through Saturday, February 6, and DuranGO is free from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
- First aid and lost-child stations sit at 7th and Main, on both sides of the street.
How do I volunteer?
Snowdown runs on volunteers. The volunteer page lists these jobs:
- Prize Patrol: collect prizes from merchants in early to mid-January.
- Schedule of Events: write the schedule and work with event hosts.
- Distribution Team: deliver posters, schedules and button boards two or three weeks out.
- Light Parade: put up no-parking signs ahead of time and work the parade.
- Chili Cook-Off and Bloody Mary Contest: check IDs, sell tickets and beer, set up and clean up.
- Fashion Do's and Don'ts: join the set-up crew.
- 50th Anniversary Planning Committee: help plan 2028.
The listing on that page still carries 2025 dates, so ask for the 2027 shifts when you sign up. Want to walk the runway instead? Model applications for the Fashion Do's and Don'ts show close November 13.
How does Snowdown pick a theme?
It runs ten days, and volunteers build it. The poster artist, the board and the beer all follow one theme, and the theme itself comes out of a box. Herald reporting says Snowdown's board picks it from submitted ideas at its annual fall retreat and tries not to repeat one. Have an idea? Snowdown says you can submit a theme during Snowdown 2027, with a chance to win two lift tickets and a $50 gift card, and it asks you to check the list of past themes first.
Are friends visiting from out of town? Send them to Travel Durango's events guide for the visitor view. That guide says downtown rooms disappear fast in late January, so tell them to book early.
For the rest of the season, see our winter in Durango guide and the events calendar.