Trinidad weekend features Spring Market, Relay For Life bowling tournament

Mt. Carmel Wellness and Community Center drew the morning crowd Saturday with a Spring Market at 911 Robinson Ave. in Trinidad, where the 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. schedule put handmade goods, café food and casual browsing in one place. The listing called out “Lots of Crafts” and “Unique Items,” and vendor information was handled through Noreen Perri at 719-845-4875, a detail that made the market feel built for local sellers as much as shoppers.

The market fit the mission Mt. Carmel has been building for years. The organization describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit southern Colorado resource and says it has been working toward “a happier, healthier, and thriving community since 2008.” Its history traces the campus back to 2006, when a church roof collapsed under a very heavy snow, followed by the purchase of the property in 2007 by Jay Cimino and Emily Cimino. Mt. Carmel also says Las Animas County is one of the poorest and most medically underserved counties in Colorado, and that it has focused on serving vulnerable populations since 2011.

That broader role gives even a spring market a different weight in Trinidad. Salud Family Health Centers has operated physical and behavioral health clinics on campus since January 2018, turning the site into more than an event space. Saturday’s market, with food served from the café and tables of local craft and gift items, showed how the campus functions as a neighborhood hub where wellness, shopping and social life overlap.

The afternoon brought a different kind of gathering at Trinidad Lanes, where Relay For Life held a bowling tournament from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the same day. The American Cancer Society describes Relay For Life as a movement that celebrates survivors, honors caregivers, remembers loved ones lost and raises funds for cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survival. It has been active for 40 years, and the Trinidad tournament carried that fundraising purpose into one of the town’s most familiar recreation spots.

Visit Trinidad describes Trinidad Lanes at 824 Van Buren Street as a year-round bowling alley with real wood lanes, pool tables and a snack bar, a setup that suits a benefit event meant to bring people together without leaving town. The day’s calendar on KRTN Enchanted Air Radio showed how local weekends work in Trinidad: one stop for coffee, crafts and café food in the morning, then a charity event in the afternoon, both rooted in spaces that already serve the community.