AI-generated illustration for The Mountain Thread. An imagined scene, not a documentary photograph.

The Man Behind Lawson Skatepark

Moe asks who Lawson was. The answer leads from the soccer sidelines to a skatepark built with a little help from its neighbors.

Moe wanted to know whether you had to bring a skateboard to Saturday’s Fall Skate Fest. I told him he could bring an appreciation for people who know what they’re doing. That would leave both of us comfortably on the sidelines.

He liked the sound of the music and the food truck. Then he asked a better question.

“Who was Lawson?”

It’s easy to get used to a name on a park. You use it to give directions, arrange a meeting, tell somebody where the kids are. After a while, you can say it without ever wondering about the person.

This one is worth wondering about.

Barry Lawson was the first director of the Estes Valley Youth Center and helped bring the original skatepark to town. Estes Valley Voice’s account of the park’s history credits him with helping make that place possible.

Sherry F., whose children played in his soccer programs, remembers him always being at the games. No elaborate story. Just that he was there.

I like that memory. Ask a parent what they remember from the years of getting children to games, and you might expect a winning season or a particularly long ride home. Sometimes what stays is the adult you could count on seeing when you arrived.

“So there’s a soccer story in the skatepark?” Moe asked.

There is. Different equipment, same need for somebody to help make things happen. A ball and a board don’t look much alike, but neither one organizes a youth program.

Barry died in 2010. The park was dedicated to him in 2013. His name stayed with it, but the years weren’t especially kind to the old park.

And that left the town with a question a new sign couldn’t answer: what would it take to give the next group of kids a good place to ride?…

Read More: The Park’s Next Chapter

FROM BUCK’S MAILBAG

Last week’s pumpkin story brought a reminder from someone looking out for our bears.

Kathy B. wrote after last week’s pumpkin story with a request for her mountain neighbors: please keep the pumpkins inside. A retired ranger, she still spends a lot of time thinking about bears.

She wrote: “Pls, for our bears' sake, keep your pumpkins inside.”

She’s right to bring it up. We spent last week wondering how a pumpkin ended up with a face. A hungry bear has a more immediate interest in what’s behind it.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s October reminder makes the same point: pumpkins can draw bears into yards and onto porches while they’re still feeding heavily before winter. A meal near the house can lead to more trouble than a missing jack-o’-lantern.

Keep real pumpkins indoors, carved or uncarved. CPW recommends displaying them inside a window so you can enjoy them without offering wildlife a meal. When you’re finished with them, dispose of them securely or use an appropriate pumpkin collection program. Don’t put them out for wildlife.

Thanks, Kathy. I got so occupied with what belonged inside the pumpkin that I left out where the pumpkin belonged.

Reader note: Kathy B., October 8, 2026. Shared from her email; quoted passage reproduced above. Wildlife guidance checked October 13.

THIS WEEKEND

Fall Skate Fest, Saturday, October 17. Noon–3 p.m. at Lawson Skatepark. Free; music, contests and giveaways. Event details list 380 Community Drive; the supplied flyer says 308. Confirm before heading over. Contest times are projected.

Artisan Markets, October 17–18. The organizer lists Saturday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Events Center, 1125 Rooftop Way. Free admission; handmade art and crafts, plus live music.

Art and an evening tune. Pots and Paints is open 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Art Center, 517 Big Thompson Avenue, with free admission. Geoff Clark plays The Rock Inn Saturday, 5–8 p.m., at 1675 Colorado Highway 66.

RMNP UPDATE

Two different timed-entry end dates. NPS’s 2026 schedule ends general timed entry October 12. Bear Lake Road reservations continue through Sunday, October 18, 5 a.m.–6 p.m. Entrance fees are separate.

Old Fall River Road changes to foot and bicycle traffic. The posted schedule reopens it October 17 to pedestrians, bicycles and leashed pets after maintenance. Pets and bikes must stay on the road, not side trails. Vehicle access is closed for the season. Check for changes before going.

Rut closures continue. Designated meadow areas still restrict off-trail foot travel from 5 p.m.–10 a.m. through October 31. Follow posted park boundaries.

Check conditions up high. Call the Trail Ridge Road status line, 970-586-1222, before a drive over the top. This October 5 research check does not establish road or trail conditions for October 15.

DID YOU KNOW?

A skateboard wheel gives a little. Urethane briefly changes shape where it meets the pavement, then rebounds. That resilience helps explain why a wheel doesn’t have to be rock-hard to roll well. The Exploratorium’s skateboarding science guide follows the change from early wheels to modern ones.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK

Enjoy the music, browse something made by hand, and give the riders room to do what they came to do. If you’re wondering how stickers and roundabout dirt helped shape a skatepark, the rest of Barry’s park story is here.

See you around town,
Buck Timber
The Mountain Thread
themountainthread.com/signup

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

The full feature’s source note credits Estes Valley Voice, Artisan Skateparks, Visit Estes Park and a reader’s soccer recollection. Additional weekend sources are the market organizer, Chamber and Rock Inn. Park, weather and Exploratorium sources are linked above. Buck.