Colorado Day!

This past Saturday was Colorado Day, the 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state, and there was a big celebration that took place at Denver's Union Station, which features restaurants, bars, boutiques, and a huge central gathering space, in addition to serving as a train station. Inside that gathering space, there was a stage with live performances and cultural experiences, although the most interesting part of the celebration was outside on the plaza and included a petting zoo, gold panning sponsored by the Mighty Argo Mill in Idaho Springs, and guided tours of the Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood. That gold panning event also included an actual 19th century gold miner and his donkey, as seen in the photograph on the left.

The National Western Center, which hosts the National Western Stock Show every January, brought animals for the petting zoo, no doubt ones typically seen on Colorado ranches and farms over the past 150 years. The donkey in the photograph on the right was pretty popular with both the kids and adults. In addition to the donkey and an alpaca (I think), there was a separate petting zoo where parents could take their kids inside and let them pet baby goats, lambs and even ducks. I tried to take some photographs of that, but the space was so crowded and the light so poor that I quickly gave up trying.

I don't think alpacas like the one in the photograph on the left were being raised on Colorado ranches 150 years ago, but they are definitely popular here now. The woman in that photograph walked up and petted the alpaca on the head, which prompted it to spit in her face for her trouble. She said she didn't get any moisture on her, which is a good thing, although I am sure she will think twice the next time she decides to pet an alpaca, or for that matter, a llama. All in all, a fun celebration.