COLORADO SPRINGS– The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics games are one year away. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum is already planning a celebration event for next year during the Olympics.
The museum is partnering with Colorado Springs Sports Corp to host the Downtown Paris Summer Fest. It is a free public event in downtown Colorado Springs where people can come watch the games at the museum and cheer on the athletes.
The 2024 summer Olympics are happening in Paris, but the organizers of the summer fest want to bring similar Olympic festivities to Colorado Springs.
“We want the residents of Colorado Springs to be able to get a general feel of what it's like in Paris, right here in Colorado Springs,” Leatham said.
Megan Leatham is the CEO of the Colorado Springs Sports Corp.
“I'm most excited for this because it gives us an opportunity for our community to celebrate the United States in the Olympics. It is a great opportunity for not only Colorado Springs and the state of Colorado, but our entire nation to come together for something greater than ourselves,” Leatham said.
The festivities will start on July 27, 2024. People can meet former Olympic competitors and get their autographs. Michelle Dusserre Farrell is the Senior Director at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Dusserre Farrell said this event unites the Colorado Springs community.
“Hopefully people wearing their Team USA gear with their flags and and and their voices will be able to help cheer and celebrate those athletes,” Dusserre Farrell said.
Dusserre Farrell said the museum will work with local vendors to provide food and drinks for the event. There will also be live music and sports demonstrations.
“We were able to do demonstrations of sports such as karate and judo, handball and so again sports that are lesser known, but that really are great dynamic, exciting sports to watch,” Dusserre Farrell said.
Dusserre Farrell said she is excited to host this event because Colorado Springs is Olympic City, USA.
“It's really that sense of community that people feel when the Olympics are happening in the Paralympic Games. So that's what we're hoping to do is create that sense of community for our citizens to feel pride in being here in Olympic City, USA, and for really there to be that togetherness and opportunity to celebrate,” Dusserre Farrell said.
Even though the Olympic games are still a year away, Leatham encourages people to learn more about the athletes who they will be cheering for.
“Start to watch the athletes and follow these fantastic people that are training right now to be on display for the world next year,” Leatham said.
There was a summer fest in 2021 for the Tokyo Olympic games. Dusserre Farrell said because the fest was a huge success in 2021, they wanted to expand it for next year. There will be activities at the museum throughout the entire Olympics and Paralympic Games.
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