After 18 months of undergoing significant improvements to their premises, Old Town Hot Springs leadership appreciated seeing people turn out in big numbers for a big day.

OTHS hosted its annual Community Appreciation Day on Sunday, and the site saw a total of 232 Routt and Moffat County residents come out for free admission and access to its aquatics equipment and fitness programs.

This year was a little different than previous years, with considerably more features in the outdoor pool area. Construction began in October 2023 and ran through May of this year, with an unveiling this summer of a lap pool, splash pool, and a smaller hot pool to complement existing water fixtures.

Vanessa Cory, Old Town Hot Springs associate executive director, said she was thrilled with the spike in turnout.

“This is a big increase from the past few years due to our construction,” Cory said. “It was great to see our community come to check out the new pools, ride the slide, take an Aqua Zumba class, and try their luck at logrolling.”

The facility has been offering Community Appreciation Day for more than a decade to let all Northwest Colorado residents partake in its activities.

“We are very appreciative of everyone’s patience, positivity, and well wishes during our construction, so it was special to see the fruits of our labor being enjoyed by so many,” Cory said.

Old Town Hot Springs also will host the upcoming Northwest Colorado Health Rubber Ducky Race.

Hundreds of rubber ducks sponsored by supporters will make their way down the waterslides, with prize money awarded for winning ducks.

The race takes place at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16. For more information, contact Kyleigh Lawler at 970-871-7609 or klawler@northwestcoloradohealth.org.