CRIPPLE CREEK, CO — Looking for a new and different experience to change up your weekend?
The two-mile city in the sky, Cripple Creek will be hosting its 91st Donkey Days festival this Saturday, August 13th.
If you plan to attend you can expect a wide variety of activities this Saturday from the donkey derby itself, live music, plenty of food vendors, gold panning, a local art show, the Salida circus, and a beer garden, axe throwing, and a pancake breakfast.
The event is family-friendly and free.
The time for the events is approximate however the parade begins promptly at 11: 00 am, followed by the donkey races at 12:00 noon, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm on Saturday.
See the map and information about events below:
The history of Donkey Derby Days traces its roots back to Cripple Creek's mining days when donkeys were one of the choice animals used for mining, transportation, and general labor due to their resilience and heartiness.
With the development of power mining tools, the golden age of donkeys in Cripple Creek's mining activities faded, and the donkeys in turn were released to the wild. To this day many of the feral donkeys' descendants still roam the hillsides of Cripple Creek.
Today there is a feral herd of about 15 donkeys that the community still sees wandering around that will be in attendance this weekend. The community cares for these animals through public donations collected at this event.
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