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Kick off the holidays in Durango

The Durango Business Improvement District kicks off the holiday season for Durango with an event, Singing with Santa, and a promotion, the Holiday Rewards Program.

Singing with Santa is a Durango holiday tradition. It is always on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday( Nov. 24) this year, and it is sponsored by TBK Bank, the city of Durango and Eagle Crane. BID has added new components this year, so visit the new website at SingingWithSanta.org for all the details.

Start your Christmas shopping on Black Friday and enjoy a bite to eat at any retail or food and beverage business in Downtown or in the North Main District. Save your receipts and enter them in BID’s new Holly Jolly Gift Card Drawing. Spend $100 to earn one entry to the drawing. Spend $250 to earn two entries. Spend $350 to earn three entries. You can combine up to 10 receipts to reach the spending levels. All receipts must be dated Friday, Nov. 24, and must be entered at SingingWithSanta.org by Nov. 26.

Four entries will be selected to win prizes, which are one $400 gift card, two $250 gift cards and one $100 gift card. Start your Christmas shopping on Nov. 24 and enjoy a meal at local businesses in the heart of Durango, then submit your receipts to win!

Santa’s reindeer have escaped and are hiding in downtown Durango. Grab the kids to find them all! Pick up a Scavenger Hunt Clue Card from the Durango Welcome Center between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., or print one from the website. Use the clues to find the downtown locations for Santa’s reindeer. When you find a reindeer, the business will stamp your Clue Card. Once you have at least six stamps, turn your card in at the Singing With Santa event. The first 50 cards submitted win a souvenir Singing with Santa hot chocolate mug.

Third, come to the event at Buckley Park. Singing with Santa starts at 5:30 p.m. Sing Christmas carols with the Durango Choral Society, and enjoy free hot chocolate and cookies. Santa will arrive at 6 p.m., then we will light the Community Christmas Tree. Take photos with Santa until 7:15 p.m., but bring your own camera.

BID’s Holiday Rewards Program, presented by Alpine Bank and sponsored by Eolus Bar & Dining and the Durango Chamber of Commerce, starts on Dec. 1, which is Noel Night. Start saving your receipts from purchases made no earlier than Dec. 1 at either BID or Durango Chamber businesses that are in any of these sectors – retail, food and beverage, personal services, attractions or accommodations. You can combine up to 10 receipts to reach the spending levels, which earns you a gift card. Spend $200 to earn a $25 gift card. Spend $400 to earn a $50 gift card. Spend $750 or more to earn a $100 gift card. Two hundred fifty gift cards are available, and the promotion ends when all gift cards have been claimed. Be sure to visit DowntownDurango.org to read the rules and to submit your receipts.

Happy Holidays from the BID!

Tim Walsworth is executive director of Durango Business Improvement District. Reach him at timw@downtowndurango.org or 375-5068.