FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

LEADVILLE’S 62nd ANNUAL BOOM DAYS CELEBRATES MINING AND OLD WEST HERITAGE, AUG. 3 – 5, 2012
Three-day event includes mining competitions, Old West reeanactments, pack burro races, craft and food fair, rod and gun show, motorcycle games, live music, kids’ activities and a 5K

LEADVILLE, Colo. (July 17, 2012) — The annual Boom Days Festival in Leadville, Colorado, celebrates the mining and Old West heritage of this scenic mountain town that was one of America’s longest-lived boomtowns during the gold and silver heydays of the 1880s. This year’s celebration, which will take place Aug. 3-5, will offer entertainment and activities that range from mining competitions, a 5K and a rod and gun show, to live music, a street fair, historical re-enactments, shootouts and appearances by Old West characters. The 21-mile Leadville Boom Days International Pack Burro Race, the second leg of Pack Burro Racing’s Triple Crown, will top off this unique Colorado mountain festival.

The 2012 Leadville Boom Days will kick off on Friday, Aug. 3, with the opening of the food and craft fair at 2 p.m., a guided tour of the paupers’ field at Evergreen Cemetery departing from The Delaware Hotel at 3:30 p.m., an opening ceremony and the Cloud City Riders’ motorcycle games at 5 p.m., and Musicale Mark and Luscious Lauralee at The Tabor Opera House at 7:30 p.m. A dance and live music will follow at the Elks Lodge on West 5th Street at 8 p.m.

Saturday’s events will begin with a pancake breakfast on the Lake County Courthouse Lawn from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The second annual Vonnie’s Voice 5K Walk/Run at The Center at 315 W. 6th St., and the Eagles Softball Tournament at the fields at Harrison Avenue and Leiter St., will both begin at 8 a.m. The food and craft fair and the Leadville Rod and Gun Club’s annual rod and gun show at the 6th St. Gym will begin at 9 a.m. Mining competitions, including jack leg drilling, spike driving, hand mucking and hand steeling, will be held behind the Elks Lodge and will also start at 9 a.m.

The always-festive Boom Days parade will start at 10 a.m. and will travel down Harrison Avenue, alongside the Lions’ Club beer garden, which will feature live music throughout the day. The Cloud City Riders’ bicycle events will follow the parade. 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.

Other highlights on Saturday will include the 8th annual Boomin’ Auto Show on Harrison Avenue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be plenty of fun for kids as well, including a bouncy house, obstacle course, egg carry, sack races, water balloon tosses, a sand pile money grab and three-legged races, beginning at 1:30 at the Lake County High School Football Field on West 4th. The celebrity boardwalk will be held at 2 p.m., followed by a log-sawing demonstration at 2:30, a guided tour of the paupers’ field at Evergreen Cemetery departing from The Delaware Hotel at 3:30 p.m., and events for teenagers at Ice Palace Park at 4 p.m. There will be a spaghetti dinner at the Eagles Lodge at 812 Hemlock starting at 5:30 p.m., Musicale Mark and Luscious Lauralee at The Tabor Opera House at 7:30 p.m., and a dance and live music at 8 p.m. at the Elks Lodge.

The fun will continue on Sunday with a pancake breakfast beginning at 8 a.m., and the food and craft fair, the softball tournament, team and kids’ mining competitions, and the rod and gun show at 9 a.m. At 11 a.m., the 21-mile Open Burro Race will begin, followed by the 13-mile Women’s Burro Race at 11:15. The Main Street Events will kick off next, including an 1880s costume mosey and costume contests, and a pie-eating contest. 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 of events, visit www.leadvilleboomdays.com or call 855-488-1222. During the event, visitors can check in at the information booth located in front of the courthouse and scan a QR code for details about scheduled activities.

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 http://www.VisitLeadvilleColorado.com for more information.

###