Animas High seniors launch Under One Moon Arts Festival in Aztec

Sophie May, Avery Colclough, Anya McMillen and Penny Mark are turning an Animas High School senior project into a two-day arts festival at Tico Time River Resort in Aztec, a move that could give San Juan County a new kind of youth-led cultural event. Under One Moon Arts Festival is set for April 25 and 26, with programming scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. both days.

The festival is being framed as a family-friendly celebration that blends live music, dance, theater, visual art, workshops, art booths, food trucks and vendors. General-admission tickets are listed at $40 for a two-day pass and $25 for a single-day ticket, and children 7 and younger will be admitted free. That pricing puts the event within reach for families while still giving the students a way to raise money through attendance.

Behind the weekend is Peaks and Valleys Arts Partnership, the nonprofit the students created as part of the project. The organization’s mission is tied directly to arts access, with the festival’s proceeds slated to be divided between Durango Friends of the Arts and Genesis Inspiration Foundation. Durango Friends of the Arts describes itself as a local nonprofit that raises funds for projects and programs providing educational and cultural benefits, while Genesis Inspiration Foundation supports youth arts education nationwide.

The money matters because the students have linked the festival to organizations already working to expand creative opportunities for young people. Genesis Inspiration Foundation said in April 2024 that it planned to award $3 million in grants to 50 youth arts organizations, and it said its lifetime giving had reached $10 million since its 2018 start. For a student-run project in Aztec, that means the weekend is not just a performance venue but a fundraising engine aimed at youth arts beyond one school.

Tico Time River Resort is positioning the event within its broader festival calendar, which also includes larger regional gatherings such as Tico Time Bluegrass Festival and Rise & Vibes Music Festival. The resort says Under One Moon will include on-site food and craft vendors, camping and a festival beach, giving the seniors a venue with the infrastructure to handle a large, all-day crowd. For San Juan County, the test is straightforward: whether four high school seniors can build an arts event that draws families, supports artists and leaves behind a model worth repeating in Aztec.