colorado

DONKEY DERBY DAYS

Events

A Celebration Like No Other

Every summer, Cripple Creek throws a party like no other — a tribute to its wild west past, gold rush legacy, and most importantly, its free-roaming donkeys. Welcome to Donkey Derby Days 2025, a three-day festival that blends small-town charm with quirky tradition, drawing visitors from all over Colorado and beyond. This year’s event was a visual feast: donkey races, a parade, bustling vendor stalls, and scenes straight out of a frontier daydream. As a photographer, I was there to capture the magic — and the four-legged, shaggy stars of the show (click any image for light box gallery):

A Legacy on Hooves: The History of Donkey Derby Days

The roots of Donkey Derby Days go back to 1931, when the festival was created to raise money for the Two Mile High Club — a non-profit that still cares for Cripple Creek’s beloved donkey herd. These animals aren’t just a fun attraction; they’re living remnants of the town’s gold-mining past, once used to haul ore through the rocky tunnels that lie beneath the streets.

Over the decades, the festival has grown from a simple race to a full-on summer celebration — complete with beer gardens, bounce houses, water features, and a main stage featuring Colorado talent.

Street Fair Highlights: Local Flavor on Bennett Avenue

Between 2nd and 5th Street, over 90 vendors set up shop this year, offering everything from handmade goods to mouthwatering eats. The fair was more than just shopping — it was a sensory playground, with the smells of smoked meats in the air, the clink of vendor tools, and the steady rhythm of street musicians adding to the atmosphere.

Discovering Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek isn’t just a backdrop for this event — it’s a character in its own right.

A Town Frozen in Time

With roots in the late 1800s gold rush, Cripple Creek still boasts its Victorian architecture and saloon-style storefronts. Today, many of these historic buildings have been transformed into boutiques, museums, and casinos that line the town’s main drag.

Casinos & Culture

Since gaming was legalized in the early ’90s, Cripple Creek has become home to iconic casinos like Midnight Rose, McGill’s, and The Brass Ass, each offering classic table games, restaurants, and lodging.

Donkey Derby Days also coincides with live entertainment at venues like the Butte Theater, giving visitors even more reasons to make a weekend out of it.

Scenic Beauty & Access

Nestled near Pike’s Peak, Cripple Creek offers stunning mountain views, hiking trails, and scenic drives. For those coming from Colorado Springs, the Ramblin’ Express shuttle is a great way to reach the festivities without the parking hassle.

Through the Lens: A Photographer’s Perspective

As a photographer, events like Donkey Derby Days are a dream. The characters — human and animal — are as rich in expression as the backdrop is in texture. The way the sunlight cuts through the dust during the donkey races… the expressions of the kids watching in awe… the detail in the handmade goods and the weathered wood of historic buildings — it’s all visual poetry.

Final Thoughts: More Than Just a Race

2025 Donkey Derby Days isn’t just a quirky tradition — it’s a living tribute to the heart and history of Cripple Creek. Whether you come for the donkeys, the food, the live music, or the old-time charm, you’ll leave with memories and stories worth keeping.

And if you’re a fellow photographer or visual storyteller, bring your camera next year — this town doesn’t just tell a story, it becomes one.

Want professional event coverage or portraits in Cripple Creek and beyond?
Contact me today! And be sure to visit my Portfolio to see more of my work.

COLORADO VACATION 1963

Photo Restorations

This photograph was taken in July 1963 in Grand Mesa, Colorado.

Colorado Vacation July 1963 – Original

My grandad set up his Canon on a tripod and using a timer, took it himself. From left to right is my uncle (age 9), my mother (age 7), my granddad (39), and my grandmom (38).

Ever since then, this print has been framed and hanging in one hallway or another for sixty years, and I always wondered about the story behind it.

A few years ago my uncle sent the original slides from the trip. I processed them at home and restored them using Photoshop and Lightroom.

So sit back and take a trip back to Colorado 1963 as the Yates family camps at Grand Mesa, drives the Million Dollar Highway, rides horses, and catches enough trout to feed the neighborhood back home in Texas.

Mesa Verde - 1963 - Edited

MESA VERDE – 1963

Photo Restorations

I recently uncovered a treasure trove of old family photos my grandmom left behind. From black and white images to color slides to old negatives, I’ve been going through them and restoring a select few. I recently acquired the equipment in my studio to develop old negatives and other mediums and getting all this practice has been helpful … and quite the trip down memory lane.

Restoring Old Slides
Restoring Old Slides

The image below is a photograph my granddad took of a canyon in Mesa Verde National Park in July 1963. This is the original scan:

Mesa Verde - 1963 - Original
Mesa Verde – 1963 – Original

Below is the restored version of the above image:

Mesa Verde - 1963 - Edited
Mesa Verde – 1963 – Edited

But the real story here is that upon developing this old slide, I recognized this canyon. I was there in 2018 and damn near took the exact same photo:

Mesa Verde - 2018
Mesa Verde – 2018

It’s uncanny – we were at the same spot at the same time of day, framed the picture the same and everything. He had better light, though, so I think he took the better photo.

But perhaps the real story here is that I didn’t know my granddad very well, and yet I’ve been told my whole life that he and I are remarkably similar. As I’m developing these old slides and negatives, I’m seeing things through his eyes, and I’m discovering how true that assessment is.

Life is one big road trip, y’all.