Take a Day Trip from Vail and visit LEADVILLE’S 60TH ANNUAL BOOM DAYS

LEADVILLE’S BOOM DAYS CELEBRATES MINING HERITAGE with three days of mining competitions, pack burro races, craft and food fair, rod and gun show, motorcycle games, live music, kids’ activities and more

The 60^th Annual Boom Days in Leadville, Colo. Aug. 6-8 will offer entertainment for people of all ages and interests. Besides mining competitions, there will be motorcycle games and a rod and gun show, live music, a craft fair and the 21-mile Leadville Boom Days International Pack Burro Race, the second leg of Pack Burro Racing’s Triple Crown.

“Leadville played an important role in Colorado’s history as one of the country’s richest and longest-lived boomtowns,” explains event chairperson John Cirullo. “We are proud of our heritage; mining is what built this town and we look forward to celebrating with our guests each year. Boom Days is a unique mountain festival with something for everyone to enjoy.”

Boom Days kicks off Friday afternoon, Aug. 6, with a food and craft fair on Harrison Avenue, including more than 100 vendors and the Lions’ Club Beer Garden and live entertainment. An opening ceremony will begin at 5 p.m., with the Cloud City Riders’ motorcycle games at 5:30 p.m., and Keir Magic Show at The Tabor Opera House at 7:30 p.m. (www.TaborOperaHouse.net) A dance and live music will follow at the Elks Lodge on 5^th Avenue at 8 p.m.

Saturday’s events begin at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast on the Lake County Courthouse Lawn and a parade down Harrison Avenue at 10 a.m. The Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad will provide a chance to see the alpine flowers at their peak with a Wildflower Special train ride at 10 a.m., followed by lunch and a stroll through the heritage gardens at the Healy House Museum. (www.leadville-train.com) The food and craft fair will continue all day.

Other highlights on Saturday will include: the 6^th annual Boomin’ Auto Show, the Leadville Rod and Gun Club’s annual rod and gun show, and the Eagles Softball Tournament. The mining competitions behind the Elks Lodge starts at 9:30 a.m., including jack leg drilling, spike driving, hand mucking and hand steeling.  Kids’ bicycle games start right after the parade at 4^th and Harrison Ave. Additional events for kids, including sack races, water balloon tosses, a sand pile money grab and three-legged races, will start at 1:30 at the Lake County High School Football Field on West 4th. Live entertainment will continue throughout the day at the Beer Garden and on the Courthouse Lawn. A spaghetti dinner at the Eagles Lodge at 812 Hemlock starts at 5 p.m.; a performance by Leon Littlebird and the Yampa Valley Boys at The Tabor Opera House at 7:30 p.m., and a dance and live music at 9 p.m. at the Elks Lodge.

A pancake breakfast will start the events again on Sunday at 7 a.m. The food and craft fair continues, along with the softball tournament, team mining competitions, and the rod and gun show. At 11 a.m., the Open Burro Race begins, followed by the Women’s Burro Race at 11:15. The Main Street Events are next, including an 1880s costume mosey, costume contests and pie-eating contests. The burro racers will start to return around 1:30.

Boom Days is a dog-free event. Doggie day care and overnight boarding are available from Cold Nose Warm Heart; call 719-486-2014 for details. For more information about the schedule , visit www.leadvilleboomdays.com or call 888-532-3845.

Located in the geographic center of Colorado, Leadville is 103 miles west of Denver and 129 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, on US Highway 24, part of the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway. Known for its authentic mountain-town hospitality, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in North America. With average high temperatures in the mid-70s this time of year, it’s the perfect place to escape the summer heat and explore one of Colorado’s most historic towns. Go to http://www.VisitLeadvilleColorado.com for more information.