Cowboy Parade & Horseback Social

Saturday, October 3, starting at 8:30 AM

The Cowboy Parade is the largest and most spectacular event in the Durango Cowboy Gathering. Historic wagons and carriages, fashionable ladies and gents dressed in period costumes, buckaroos on stick horses, dancers, walkers and lots of horses, mules and burros make this parade a family favorite.

Six blocks of historic downtown Main Avenue (from College Drive to 12th Street) will be parade-barricaded* so that hundreds of horseback riders can hang out, socialize, and ride with friends.

Spectators can meet real cowboys, cowgirls, and horses up close. As special area will be set up to give free horseback rides to kids age 12 and younger under the supervision of their parent(s) and professional wranglers.

Downtown merchants and restaurants will be open and eagerly await your visit!

*Parade barricades will be set up the full length of the riding area to keep spectators separated from the horseback riders. With the rider’s permission, spectators may reach across the barrier to pet horses and take photos.

THE SCHEDULE

7:00 AM
2nd Ave. opens up for Horseback Social TRUCK & TRAILER parking. You must enter 2nd Ave. via 12th St. (see PARKING below)

8:00 AM
You MUST pick up your parade entry number at one of these locations. If you are riding ONLY IN THE HORSEBACK SOCIAL, you don’t need a number.Make sure your number is visible somewhere at the FRONT of your entry. Check-in tables open in 3 locations:
• 2nd Ave at 8th St
• 5th Ave at 4th St
• 5th St. & Main

8:30-10:00 AM
Horseback Social – Riders can only enter Main Ave. from 2nd Ave. via 7th Street.

10:30 AM
Parade – You MUST be in your position in the line-up by 10 AM, and there should be NO GAPS between entries regardless of what your number is. Walking entries and some wagon entries will file into position near the train station when their number comes up.

PARKING

Horseback Social Parking on 2nd Ave.
Arrival of horse trailers is ONLY via 12th Street at the north end of 2nd Ave. Volunteers will direct trucks to a parking space according to size of the rig. Park as close to the curb as possible.

Parade Wagon Parking Lot at 5th St. & Main Ave.
If trucks with parade wagons choose to park in the parking lot located at 5th St. & Main, they must do so by 9:30 AM. Vehicles must enter from 3rd Avenue and drive west on 5th Street. This is against the normal flow of traffic but will not be a problem in the early morning. Trucks should enter the parking lot via the Main Ave. (west) side entrance of the parking lot and park parallel facing east. Exit via 5th street after the parade.

Neighborhood Street Parking
Please respect the neighborhood where you park. Keep horses off median grass and off the sidewalks. Bring shovels to pick up manure.

AFTER THE HORSEBACK SOCIAL

When the Horseback Social ends at 10 AM, riders should return to 2nd Ave. via either 7th St. or 10th St.
Riders who will also be in the parade should access the lineup on 5th St. by going south on Main Ave. or 2nd Ave. There will be traffic control volunteers at both intersections crossing College Drive. College Drive will be very busy, so pay attention to the traffic control volunteers (not the light).

THE END OF THE PARADE

Keep moving when you come to the end of the parade at Main Ave. and 12th Street. Wagons need momentum to get up the hill. We encourage you to return to your vehicle/trailer by way of 2nd Ave. so that manure is concentrated on and between Main Ave. and 2nd Ave.

EXITING 2ND AVE. AFTER THE PARADE

Trucks and trailers parked on 2nd Ave. may exit on any side street to get to 3rd Ave. by turning left off of 2nd Ave. They may also follow 2nd Ave. south and turn left or right on College Drive. Trucks and trailers on 2nd Ave. MAY NOT exit to the west on side streets because this would interfere with Main Ave. traffic and post-parade cleanup. Vehicles parked in locations other than 2nd Ave. must exit in compliance with normal traffic rules.