Durango launches Mask Marshals program

DURANGO C.O.— It may not look like spring yet in Durango, but that’s not stopping spring breakers from visiting the town.

“Last week we started seeing people coming in. It was a little slow at first, but last weekend was decently busy. Usually through this week and into this next weekend, we’ll be decently busy," said Wesly, manager of the Halfway to Heaven shop in Durango.

Spring is usually a busy time for businesses. As restrictions are starting to ease, a new city initiative was started to make sure vacation goers follow the rules.

"We created the Durango Mask Marshal program where we are hiring Old West actors to walk around downtown on weekends. It’s a fun way to let people know what the requirements are and if they don’t have a mask, we’ll give them a free souvenir mask," said Tim Walswort, executive director of the Durango Business Improvement District.

The program was created by the Durango Business Improvement District, the five-star certification program, and Visit Durango. The state of Colorado still requires people to wear masks in a public indoor space.

“I saw them handing out masks and it seemed like they were doing a good job. It’s a really nice way of implementing that without putting the pressure on the business owner or people working in the store," said Wesly.

As of now, people can expect to see Mask Marshals roaming in southwest Colorado till April.