Farmington Local News

Under the sandstone bluffs of Farmington, a professional musical theater company draws record crowds with its production of "Grease." Artistic Director Randy West sits down to talk about how Four Corners Musical Theater grew from a request by city leaders seven years ago into New Mexico's only professional musical theater company, and why he says nights at Sandstone, rainbows and al...

Business owners and community members gathered in Aztec on Friday, June 5, for the State of Aztec Breakfast, an event that gives local residents a rundown of what's happening in the city and the wider region. Speakers from across San Juan County delivered a consistent message: the four corners is a great place to live and to do business. One of the event's central themes was keeping youn...

The Ute Mountain Roundup returned to Cortez for its 96th year bringing thousands of visitors and top PRCA cowboys and cowgirls to the Montezuma County Fairgrounds. From the board members who organize the event year round to the stock contractor who drives twelve hours from Wyoming to bring the animals, this is a look at what it takes to put on one of the biggest events in Montezuma County. By Sadi...

The Farmington Public Library hosted New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston as part of its ongoing effort to connect the Four Corners region to the wider world. Preston, who lives part of the year in New Mexico, visited the library with support from the Farmington Public Library Foundation, which covered his speaker fee. The library, open to anyone who visits Farmington regardless of ho...

Madison Smith moved back to San Juan County after nine years and found a community short on resources for young families. She opened Piper's Play Cafe in Aztec, a sensory-inclusive indoor toddler play space offering free-range exploration for kids and a rare moment of rest for parents. The cafe includes a slide structure, dramatic play areas, a pretend kitchen and market, free snacks, free dr...

A San Juan County program called UmattR is putting high school seniors in front of younger kids, not with lectures, but with their own stories. The program gives $1,000 scholarships to selected seniors who then spend the year visiting elementary and middle schools across the county. This cycle drew more than 300 applicants; 24 made the cut. Together they log about 650 service hours. The younger ki...

Music in the Mountains is celebrating its 40th anniversary season this summer, running July 9th through August 2nd across the Four Corners region. What started in 1987 with just 11 musicians has grown into a world-class orchestra featuring performers from around the globe. This year's festival features free community concerts from Durango to Bayfield, Ignacio, Pagosa, and Mancos, along with f...

Farmington Museum is hosting the Smithsonian's "Lowrider Culture in the United States" traveling exhibit through July 25, 2026. The museum added its own touches: three lowrider cars, three motorcycles and artwork inside, plus a Park and Chill car show in the parking lot with live music and food vendors. Museum director Nathan Augustine says the event brought out a broad slice of the...

Skyring Water is a Cold War thriller bestselling author Louis L'Amour wrote around 1960 but never published. After L'Amour's death in 1988, the manuscript sat unfinished for decades until his son Beau L'Amour completed it, describing the book as a partnership across time. Skyring Water releases June 2, 2026. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news . This story is sponsored...

Today we're spotlighting one of Farmington's finest — Loren Healy , a born-and-raised San Juan County native who turned a love of desert rock crawling into a full-blown professional motorsports career. Loren has won the King of the Hammers multiple times, captured five consecutive Baja 1000 victories in the stock class, and now runs RTR Off-Road Shop right here in Farmington. He's c...

The Garden Guys are back with practical advice for Southwest Colorado gardeners. Tom Bartels and Darrin Parmenter break down planting timing, drought prep, compost versus fertilizer, and what to look for when buying transplants this spring. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at durangolocal.news . This story is sponsored by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and the Payroll Department. 

A new hospital is now open in Farmington, New Mexico — and the community response has been nothing short of remarkable. Exceptional Community Hospital celebrated its ribbon cutting after more than four years of planning and three years of construction, opening its doors Feb. 18 to the public. Since that first day, the facility has been seeing 50 patients daily — a pace that hospital leadership say...