Leadville Boom Days is a three-day festival that celebrates mining heritage in Leadville, Colorado. Join us from the first full weekend in August each year for our mining heritage celebration!
In addition to the best-known events—the burro races, a big parade, and the mining competitions—are plenty of other ways to celebrate Leadville’s history. Contests, dances, live music, gunfighter shows, kid-friendly activities, and other fun celebrations abound at this festive festival in North America’s highest-elevation city. Check out these 10 reasons you can’t miss it!
1. BURRO RACES
What are burro races, anyway? Each team is made up of one runner leading a burro on a rope. Each burro carries a regulation pack with mining equipment. Leadville’s races leave from downtown Harrison Avenue on Sunday at 10 a.m.
New this year! We are putting the rigorous 15-mile “short” course on hold and instead are offering an intermediate semi-rugged and scenic 6.5-mile course!
After a jaunt through the mountains east of town, teams begin returning around 11 a.m. (short course) and 3:30 p.m. (long course). Buy a ticket at the hospitality tent all weekend long to guess the winning burro!
2. PARADE
Leadville may be a genuine small mountain town, but its Boom Days parade is anything but small.
Starting Saturday at 10 a.m., cheer on bands, floats, antique cars, people dressed in Victorian costumes, burros, and more as they wind down historic Harrison Avenue!
3. MINING EVENTS
How would you like to hold a small sliver of steel vertically on a rock while your partner pounds it with a sledgehammer? Such is the breathless suspense of the doublejack mining competition, where teams do just that. Other competitions involve shoveling crushed rock into an ore cart and pushing it along a track and team mechanical jackleg drilling into a giant rock.
These events happen on Saturday and Sunday behind the Elks Lodge at 123 W. 5th St. throughout the day. Sunday sign the kids up for the children’s mining events!
4. VICTORIAN COSTUME CONTEST, PIE EATING CONTEST, EGG TOSS AND MORE
Following the start of the burro race sign up for the supporting contests on the courthouse lawn. Contests include: Pie eating, water balloon toss, egg toss and the favorite costume contest and mosey. All are welcome to participate!
Supporting contests take place on Harrison Ave. Sunday morning starting at 11:15 a.m.
5. MOTORCYCLE GAMES
Applaud acts of great skill at the motorcycle games. Plank rides, slow rides and team accuracy competitions with the ball drop and weenie bite.
The opening ceremony takes place on Friday at 5 p.m. on Harrison Ave, and the motorcycle games follow.
6. CAR SHOW
T.H.E. Boomin’ Auto Show boasts a little bit of everything – old, new, cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors
The vehicles file onto Harrison Avenue following the parade on Saturday.
7. KIDS’ ACTIVITIES
Kids can pretend to be miners and play fun games!
Stop by the children’s events take place on Saturday from 1-3 p.m, new location! Next to the Race Series store between east 4th and 3rd on Harrison Ave.
Kids can hand muck (shovel gravel) and enjoy other mining activities to win prizes, starting on Sunday morning at the Children’s Mining Events. Sign up begins at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The littles can also enjoy good, clean fun with old-fashioned games–a pie-eating contest, egg toss, balloon toss, and more–starting on Sunday at 11 a.m. (register from 10-11 a.m.).
8. MUSIC & DANCE
Jam to live music with local bands on Saturday and Sunday at Zaitz Park, 612 Harrison Ave.
Boogie down at the Boom Days Dance in the Elks Lodge, 123 W. 5th St., on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.!
9. CRAFT FAIR AND GREAT FOOD
A large food and craft fair all weekend offers everything from cowboy hats and handmade jewelry to hot, tasty turkey legs, old-fashioned sodas, and much, much more. Check out the many offerings!
Fun food options include Leadville Boom Days meals like a breakfast on the courthouse lawn and a Lion’s Club Beer Garden at E. 6th & Harrison streets.
And of course, please sample the delicious offerings from Leadville’s many restaurants!
10. PURCHASE A BELT BUCKLE AT AUCTION
Each year the Boom Days Committee chooses a different design related to Leadville’s history. The first Boom Days belt buckles was produced in 1976. Buckle number 1 and number 100 will be auctioned off following the Boom Days Parade in front of the courthouse near the merchandise tent. This fun auction gets the energy going.
Want a little excitement without the cost of the auction? Guess the burro race finish time by purchasing guess the race time raffle tickets from the merchandise tent with a chance to win big. Do not need to be present at the end of the race to win.
Doc Holliday themed buckles, clothing, garters and pins will also be on sale while supplies last at the merch tent. Stop by!
STEP AWAY FROM MAIN STREET FOR A WHILE
There are so many other fun things to do Boom Days weekend
MUSEUMS & TOURS:
Visit Leadville’s many museums: The Heritage Museum, the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, the House with the Eye, The Matchless Mine and Temple Israel.
Take guided tours at the Tabor Home, the Healy House and Dexter Cabin and the Tabor Opera House
Pick up a Leadville Museum Passport from the Leadville/Lake County Visitor Center at 460 Harrison Avenue, visit at least four of the museums, and get a free Leadville-themed gift!
TRAIN RIDE:
Take in the views while learning about the history on the Leadville Railroad, trips depart daily at 10am and 2p
GO TO A SHOW
- Friday, August 7th – Presentation: Soiled Doves: The Working Women of Colorado’s Boom Days – 5pm at the Healy House and Dexter Cabin
- Friday, August 7th – See Tombstone the 1993 movie at the Tabor Opera House – 6:30pm
- Friday, August 7th – View a fashion show at the Delaware Hotel – 6:00pm
- Saturday, August 8th – Boom Days Talent Show – 1pm to 3pm at the Tabor Opera House
- Saturday, August 8th – Dance to New Mexico band – SANGRE JOVEN live at the Eagles Lodge – 8:00pm
Here’s where to find a great place to stay the weekend for three full days of fun.
No dogs and no drones allowed at Leadville Boom Days, for everyone’s safety.
Happy Boom Days!
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