Is it that time already? Yes, yes it is. Time for Snowdown, Durango’s favorite homegrown annual festival of wackiness. Now in its 39th year, 2017’s theme is “intergalactic space.” Intergalactic Snowdown will be happening from star dates Feb. 1-5, and all five days are jam-packed with spacey activities all over town!

To be sure you don’t miss anything, check out Snowdown’s full schedule of events (and there are A LOT). Otherwise, here are some highlights of every day:

Wednesday

Snowdown kicks off with the annual “Snowdown Fashion Dos and Don’ts” at La Plata County Fairgrounds, a fashion show that’s an homage to the fact that USA Today once named Durango the “Worst Dressed Community.” We’ll show them worst dressed! The day also includes the Snowdown Totally Awesome Scavenger Hunt, Frisbee Golf, Family Feud Snowdown Style, and the 39th annual Snowdown Bartenders’ Contest. The Annual Snowdown Kids Follies is a 90-minute talent show for kids between the ages of 8 and 18, and the Snowdown Spellebration is a spelling bee for grownups that includes cocktails and costumes. Don your best bad sci-fi cosplay for the costume contest and don’t miss out on butt darts, bra wars, the intergalactic game gauntlet and so much more!

Thursday

Thursday brings with it so many contests and competitions. Beer pong and beer bingo. Dodgeball and washers. An oyster-eating contest or a waterslide-a-thon to see how many times in two hours the winner can go down the waterslide at the Durango Recreation Center. If you have some fine facial hair, get thee to the beard contest, or if feats of strength are more your thing, there’s an arm-wrestling match. There’s also a drag race and fashion show for “drag queens and faux kings,” and the day’s events will be capped off with Snowdown Follies Gala Premiere Performance at Henry Strater Theatre.

Friday

Friday has as much going on as any other day — salsa-making contest, chili cook-off, games of four square and intergalactic human foosball — but it’s also the day of some of Snowdown’s most signature events. At dusk don’t miss the Snowdown firework. That’s right. Singular. There’s a spectacular display of a single firework, which marks the start of the Snowdown Light Parade. This year’s light parade down Main Avenue is sure to please with its intergalactic space theme. After the parade, head up to Purgatory Resort to catch the game of Ski Softball — softball played on skis and snowboards.

Saturday

Saturday kicks off bright and early with the Snowdown Balloon Rally. Hot-air balloons will rise in the frosty morning air and float down the Animas Valley. Frolickers can also sign up to compete in the karaoke contest or the pull-up contest (uh, count us out), the fly-fishing casting competition or the bloody Mary contest. You can also carve Spam, play in the cornhole tournament or compete in the Hula Hoop-off!

Sunday

The final day of Snowdown doesn’t ease up on the wacky activity. Start off the day watching the hot air balloon ascension again followed by breakfast at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. During the day, there will be basketball, 8-ball and poker tournaments leading up to THE big event: the Super Bowl. Catch the game during the Super Galactic Super Bowl Party at Derailed Pour House, which will be showing it on eight big-screen TVs and offering prizes and raffles.

At the Quality Inn Durango, we love us some Snowdown — and we’d love to host you while you’re here to enjoy all things Snowdown. Durango Quality Inn is one of the top-rated Durango hotels, so book your room today!