Burro Days Fairplay, Colorado

Are you planning a great trip this summer throughout Colorado? In this case, make sure you don’t miss the Burro Days in the historic town of Fairplay, Colorado. It may seem like a small town of just over 700 people, but it has an amazing tradition of burro races, which dates back to 1949, celebrating the town’s mining heritage.

Fairplay, Colorado is a small mining town founded in the 19^th century, at the beginning of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. Settlers named it like this in the hope of more reasonable mining claims, unlike those given to the earliest prospectors. The town was officially incorporated in 1872.

The town is located in the grassland basin of Colorado, at the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and State Highway 9, on a hillside east of Middle Fork South Platte River.

The area was very rich in gold and silver, with its mines producing ore up until the middle of the 20^th century. It is also home to an open-air museum trying to revive the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush. Its history and landscapes inspired the famous television series South Park as the visual basis for the town in the series. Though, the real town is smaller and more rustic than the fictional one, which is a bit more modern and suburban.

History of Burro Days

Why burros, you may ask? First, burro means donkey in Spanish. Donkeys are small, robust animals that can walk long miles on rough surfaces and mountain passes, and can carry really heavy loads. So, they are great animals for this mountainous area.

Burro Days take place every year during the last weekend of July, since 1949. Originally, it consisted of a 29-mile burro race from Leadville to Fairplay over rough terrain through the Mosquito Pass, for a $500 prize and an ounce of gold. The race followed the original route used for racing and carrying mail used by Father John Lewis Dyer of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Over time, the course has changed several times because of the rivalry between the two cities.

The race lasts about 5 hours and is not the only one in the region. There are also other burro races around, with the most notable taking place in Leadville. The burro race in Fairplay, Colorado is the World Championship of Burro Racing and the longest race in the state. 

Activities

With more and more visitors each year, the event has expanded, and you can now enjoy amazing parades, llama, outhouse and kids & dog races, live music, great food and entertaining playgrounds and games for kids of all ages.

Apart from the traditional burro races, newer llama ones have gained popularity during more recent years. These cute animals are so docile and resilient, that they make amazing race animals alongside burros. They are also well adapted to living in the mountains, having originated in the South American Andes.

Get there early to make sure you don’t miss the amazing parade at the Burro Days in Fairplay. There is always something new to see, and everyone is welcome to join, so why not be part of the parade yourself? It’s free, and you also get the chance to win a prize for each category and a Burro Days trophy!

Live music will play all weekend and you can expect to listen to good quality blues music and many great bands during these days.

Kids will love playing around all weekend and take up various challenges. They can enjoy horse rides, fun slides and bounce houses and group activities.

At Burro Days you will also have the chance to taste delicious local refreshments like Continental Divide Winery wines, South Park Brewing beers at the Burro Days beer and wine garden. Of course, you have to have your ID to prove you’re over 21 to get alcohol, but hey! There’s also a wide range of great food for everyone, including a traditional barbeque.

Being a historical event in the mining town of Fairplay, Colorado, kids will be the most excited to learn about how our ancestors used to dig for gold and do some gold panning themselves with the Gold Prospectors of Colorado. This is a fun and free activity for the whole family, so get your hands dirty even at an older age!

The Burro Booth is a very useful checkpoint, where you can find tickets for the burro race, event schedule, general information or fun Burro Days merchandise, as well as any lost and found items.

The Overlook

For those who love to live in the mountains or at least spend some days in a refreshing mountain spot, The Overlook will be a beautiful retreat with an amazing view. Situated high above the South Park Basin and overlooking the Hoosier Pass together with a few 14.000 foot mountain peaks in the Mosquito Range, this cozy home will accommodate 8 people in 3 bedrooms.

The cabin features an open main floor with a warm burning stove, spacious hot tub and 55in TV, as well as a front deck with an amazing day or night view. It is secluded, yet accessible to Fairplay, so you get the best of both worlds.

We are gladly waiting to meet you during your vacation and share personal experiences that only us locals have had in the region. Check with us to learn about the huge number of mines in the area, fishing spots, ghost towns and many more, as the area has a lot to offer to hikers and travelers.