Rugged West to Bring Excitement to Cibola

Diego Lopez, Reporter

Cibola County residents have an event to look forward to this coming weekend. To celebrate the Labor Day Holiday, the Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce is putting on a mostly free event that is sure to be fun for all ages. Rugged West is going to be an event focusing on Cibola’s outdoor recreation department, with a special emphasis on All-Terrain Vehicles, 4x4s, and other outdoor vehicles. There is going to be a special field designated as an obstacle course for riders, with a safe space for spectators to watch the daring and adventurous riders. Off-road riders are not the only people who are going to enjoy the event. There is going to be an obstacle course for children to have fun on, with a zip line and fun in the parks of downtown Grants. A disc jokey will play music for free through the event, with breaks for bands and country star Shawn Brooks, and Tommy Price and the Stilettos giving free concerts for Cibola.

Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerece Executive Director Brenda Curtright said that this event has been a massive undertaking, and credited Chamber Board Member, and local businesswoman Carrie Talley for her work in bringing this event together.

When is this Happening?

Friday On Friday, September 2, event setup will start at 12 p.m. Vendors can setup from 12 to 5 p.m. The park will officially open at 5 p.m., with DJ Malik performing. The beer garden will be opened from 5 to 11 p.m. Registration begins for the rest of the events.

At 7 p.m., the Poker Run begins. Players will be charged $20 per hand, they will travel across Cibola to collect their cards, the player with the best hand will receive $300 while the player with the worst hand receives $100. Players will go to Bowlins Bluewater Outpost, John Brooks in Milan, Pizza 9, Walmart, and Smith’s Food and Drug Store in Grants to collect cards for their hand. Starting at 9 p.m., El Gringo will open for Shawn Brooks, the concert is expected to end at 11 p.m., at the same time the beer garden closes for the night. This concert is free to the public, courtesy of the Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce.

Saturday

The first full day of fun for the event, the park will open at 10 a.m., DJ music will play all day long. The kids zone, with rides and water slides, will be open. The beer garden will open at 12 noon. The obsticale course opens at 12 p.m., participants will be charged $20. Spectators will be charged $5 per vehicle. First Place will take home a trophy and $250 cash, second place will take a trophy, and $150 cash. There is a bonus prize which will be unveiled at the event.

At 6 p.m., DJ Malik will play. He will break at 7 p.m. when Tommy Price and The Stilletos perform a free concert at the Fire and Ice Park. At 8 p.m., away from the ongoing concert, there is going to be a stereo wars competition, where cars and their passengers will try to outcompete one another with sound, this event has a $10 admission fee. Starting at 9 p.m., there will be a Foam Dance Party at Fire and Ice Park, with free admission.

The park will close at 12 p.m. The beer garden closes earlier, at 11 p.m.

Sunday

The final day of events, Sunday will have DJ music all day long. The park will open at 10 a.m., but on this day the beer garden will open at 12 p.m. and close at 6 p.m. The Mount Taylor Cornhole Tournament will begin at 12 p.m., with a $40 entry fee. The winner of this tournament will receive a 100 percent cash payout, the chamber will make no money on this event. Rodeo events at the Grants Rodeo Grounds will begin at 12 p.m., and there will be a salute to first responders at the rodeo. The park will close at 6 p.m.

Putting it all Together

The Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce expresses its gratitude to the local government agencies that support its work to promote and bring business to Cibola. Executive Director Curtright said that this Labor Day event is put on with the hope of not just attracting outsiders to Cibola, but to give the people of Cibola something fun to do.

Not every single event will be free, but the prices are kept relatively low to help the people of Cibola be able to come and have a safe, fun night out. Most of the events taking place at the park are free to locals, including both concerts and the DJ music.

“We really just wanted to create a safe, and fun environment,” Curtright said. “Let’s show not just visitors to Cibola that its worth staying here for the weekend, but our locals too.” There will be a VIP tent for the largest donors, which will also serve as a location for volunteers to take a break if they need. VIP tickets are not for sale, and are only given to people who contribute to the event. The Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce thanks all of its sponsors for helping to bring a new, fun event to Cibola County that will being a large economic boost to the area.