Terlingua
Lightning struck and thunder rolled, but the party went on for Big Bend. While 82 years young isn’t a major milestone, it’s still worth celebrating, or so thought the 100-odd partygoers gathered in Terlingua on June 13.
“That was a pretty good turnout for Terlingua,” bystanders said while watching the eight-float parade pass by, headed by the fire department and EMS.
As one of the largest and least visited national parks, the Big Bend community balances a sense of solitude and quirkiness that was on full display. Poems read aloud on the front porch of the Starlight Theatre reflected back a deep love for the dramatic landscape. Two bands played while people ate cake and connected with neighbors who braved flooded roads to be there. Katherine Vaughn from Valentine drew the biggest cheers during the costume contest with her clown getup, including a burro hobby horse named “Donkey Hotay.”
“Places are only special because of the people who love them and those people are you,” said Lauren Renee to the crowd. Renee is executive director of Big Bend Conservancy, a philanthropic funder for the park. The party was organized in part by the conservancy and members of the No Big Bend Wall group.
The birth of the national park was not easy. Texans protested private ranch land becoming a state park in the 1930s. A mere six days after the D-Day invasion, Roosevelt signed legislation to convert it into a national park.
It has come under recent pressure as plans for a border wall encroach within its boundary. The federal waiver of 30 laws that protect the landscape and wildlife has drawn national outcry and regional protests. The park represents the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert and hosts archaeological sites going back thousands of years. It supports a tourist economy of $60 million dollars, drawing nearly half a million visitors each year to raft the river, hike the basin trails and search for petroglyphs. More than a few return to stay, captivated by the desert mountains and remote lifestyle.
“Everyone here loves the park,” said Rick Gupman, the superintendent of Big Bend National Park. “Tonight is about being present in the moment and remembering why we moved to Big Bend,” he told the crowd, before turning their attention to a rainbow that arrived with the birthday speeches.
Astro Mucho, a local stargazing tour, set up a telescope for people to appreciate the few stars peeking through monsoon clouds. The party eventually moved indoors, where tourists and locals dressed like mermaids danced deep into the night.
