By SYLVIA LOBATO
LA JARA — This small town has big plans for September and October.
On Sept. 15, it will host Fun With 911, sponsored by Conejos County EMS.
There will be free hanburgers and hot dogs, free games and prizes, a raffle to win a helicopter ride and raffles for may other prizes.
The excitement will start at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. at 312 South Main Street in La Jara.
It’s also time to begin building devices for the annual Smash Fest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at the same location.
 In Medieval times, kinetic energy was the means of warfare and home defense. Today’s technology is better, right?
Here’s a chance to prove it and take home some serious prize money.
La Jara’s annual Smash Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at 312 Main Street and will include fun for all ages.
There will be a pumpkin patch overflowing with pumpkins of all sizes, a carving contest and fun for all ages, says event coordinator Krista Ross.
“We need serious contestants for the smash fest,” Ross says. The top prize in the adult division is $1,000 while the junior division offers $500 for the contraption than can hurl a pumpkin the farthest before it smashes to the ground.
While everything else is free, there is an entry fee for contestants who want to try their hand at building a powerful catapult, trebuchet or slingshot capable of sending a pumpkin soaring across the large park at 312 Main Street.
It’s time to start planning and building. Call Ross at274 5363 for details.