Leadville Boom Days

A  town may be small, but its fun doesn't have to be, as Leadville's Boom Days amply demonstrate. During the first full weekend of August, history comes alive in celebration of Leadville's mining and Old West tradition. There are craft and food booths galore, gunslingers, a motorcycle rodeo, and contests of mining skill. The three-day event is part historic mountain festival, part gun show and part street fair. Active participation is encouraged, from enjoying street-side entertainment and special activities just for kids to taking part in the outhouse race, costume contests or the "mosey" contest.

Not to be missed are the parade and the 21-mile International Pack Burro Race. The differing and changeable attitudes of the animals as they run beside, in front of or behind their person, or sometimes not at all, always make for an interesting and often surprising competition.

Along with all this, meet the friendly people of this historic mountain town that sits two miles above sea level in a high valley. Take in the beauty of the surrounding Rocky Mountains and the history of an 1880's mining camp.

Boom Days is a Local Legacy of National Interest, documented and preserved by the Library of Congress.

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