Colorado people can participate this time. There is an "open" category for that. No purchase of a "kit" required.
https://trains.walthers.com/hubfs/PDF/NMRBO/NMRBO21 OPEN requirements.pdf?hsLang=en
www.walthers.com/nmrbo21
The issue I can see is going to be how may people are going to run there, and how hard that category is going to be to judge. I can imagine they will get everything from ocean harbors, to backwoods quarries, and all three scales. NOTE: "The judging will focus on ... how well the modeler interpreted the scale they chose to model." How does one interpret "interpreted"?