FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Mandy Gauldin, 970-945-5534

LEADVILLE’S 58TH ANNUAL BOOM DAYS CELEBRATES MINING HERITAGE
Three-day event includes mining competitions, pack burro race, craft and food fair,
rod and gun show, motorcycle games, live music, kids’ activities and much more

LEADVILLE, Colo. (July 10, 2008) — The 58th Annual Boom Days, which will take place in Leadville, Colo., Aug. 1-3, has been honored by the United States Congress as a Local Legacy Event. This celebration of the area’s mining heritage offers entertainment for people of all ages and interests, from mining competitions, motorcycle games and a rod and gun show, to live music, a craft fair and parade. The 21-mile Leadville Boom Days International Pack Burro Race — the second leg of Pack Burro Racing’s Triple Crown — is always a crowd favorite. 

“Mining is an important part of Colorado’s history, and Boom Days is our way of celebrating that part of our heritage,” explains event chairperson Frank Bradach.  “The mining competitions demonstrate skills that helped thousands of the area’s prospectors turn Leadville into one of the country’s richest and longest-lived boomtowns. The weekend is packed with events and activities that the whole family will enjoy.”

Boom Days kicks off on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. with a food and craft fair on Harrison Avenue, including more than 100 vendors along with the Lions’ Club Beer Garden and live entertainment.  An opening ceremony follows at 5 p.m., with ABATE motorcycle games beginning at 7 p.m. A dance and live music start at 8 p.m. at the Elks Lodge on 5th Avenue.

Saturday’s events begin at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast on the Lake County Courthouse Lawn. The food and craft fair continues all day. New this year, a Sportsman’s Outdoor Expo will take place at the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Other highlights include 4th annual “Boomin’ Auto Show,” a rod and gun show, a parade down Harrison Avenue, mining competitions, and kids events. Live entertainment continues throughout the day, with performances by Jenna, Gobs of Phun, the El Jebel Shrine Band, and Francesco, a world-famous whistler who also plays a combination of jazz, blue grass and county music. A dance and live music start at 8 p.m. at the Elks Lodge.

A pancake breakfast starts the events again on Sunday, beginning at 7 a.m. The food and craft fair continues, along with a softball tournament, mining competitions, Sportsman’s Outdoor Expo and the rod and gun show. At 11 a.m., find a seat to watch the Men’s Burro Race begin, following by the Women’s Burro Race at 11:15, and the Celebrity Burro Race at 11:30. At noon, the Main Street Events kick off, including an 1880s Costume Mosey, Boardwalk Race, and more. The burro racers start to return around 1:30.

The Tabor Opera House is featuring some special performances during the weekend as well. On Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., “Leadville or Bust,” a comic burlesque show that celebrates the original girlie shows enjoyed by the miners and settlers of the old West takes the stage. Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m., Duke Davis and his award-winning band Buckshot will present Westward Ho!, a 90-minute musical performance ,which takes the audience from the end of the Civil War when the great cattle drives started in Texas to today’s modern times in a 27-song presentation. (www.TaborOperaHouse.net)

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

Located in the geographic center of Colorado, Leadville is just 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 www.VisitLeadvilleColorado.info for more information.

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About Leadville and Twin Lakes
Leadville, the highest incorporated city in North America, is located in the geographic center of Colorado, 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. Once one of America’s richest, longest-lived and bawdiest mining boomtowns, 70 square blocks of the downtown area has been designated as a National Historic Landmark of Victorian architecture. Activities include skiing, fishing, camping, golfing, hiking, whitewater rafting, four-wheeling, biking, museums, historical tours and train rides. Nearby Twin Lakes, located 15 minutes from Leadville at the eastern entrance to Independence Pass, is also a National Historic District and a popular summer destination for camping, boating, hiking and fishing. Go to www.VisitLeadvilleColorado.info for more information.