Community Events
Donkey Derby Days
Cripple Creek, CO
Attending Donkey Derby Days in Cripple Creek is one of our favorite things we do. During Donkey Derby Days you will see Gold Camp Victorian Society members in the parade and all around town. The signature donkey races that are held during the celebration are inspired by and are held in honor of the town’s resident wild donkey herd. Legend has it that the wild donkeys that roam Cripple Creek are relatives of the original donkeys that hauled the ore carts in the mines before electricity and steam modernized the mining methods.
Night at the Museum
Cripple Creek, CO
Night at the Museum is an event that is sponsored from time to time by the Gold Camp Victorian Society in cooperation with the Cripple Creek District Museum. The event usually takes place on the last Saturday of July, August and September each year. Local Cripple Creek characters from yesteryear come alive at the museum to share their stories and entertain visitors. On this special evening you will meet many of the most colorful and famous people of Cripple Creek in a private tour of the museum which is located in the original Midland Railway Terminal at the east end of Bennet Avenue in Cripple Creek, Attendance is limited and advance reservations are encouraged for this very popular event. Night at the Museum is not yet scheduled for 2024. Keep your eye on our website for updates about the next scheduled date for Night at the Museum.
Salute to American Veterans Rally
Cripple Creek, CO
Cripple Creek is the endpoint of the Annual Salute to American Veterans Rally ride that originates in Woodland Park. Members of the Gold Camp Victorian Society turn out with great pride to add the historical touch to the Salute to American Veterans Rally event. Since 1987 our fair city has provided the endpoint for this annual POW/MIA Recognition ride. The ride includes hundreds of veterans and supporters on motorcycles as they pull into Cripple Creek at the end of their ride. As in the times of the Gold Camp, onlookers line the streets to watch the patriotic parade.
Pearl De Vere Day
Pearl De Vere (aka Isabel Martin), the most famous madam of Cripple Creek, is honored each year at several annual events. Pearl ran the opulent Old Homestead parlor house in Cripple Creek, Colorado from 1895 to 1897, when she accidentally died from a morphine overdose. Pearl became the only “Madam” ever “allowed” to be buried in the city cemetery. Her funeral procession consisted of a huge parade to Mt. Pisgah Cemetery with the Elks Lodge band playing “There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight”. The whole town turned out.
Pearl De Vere Day, July 24th, is a day of fun that includes the ever-popular beer tent, bed races down Meyers Avenue and tours of her exquisitely appointed and expensive “hotel”, the Old Homestead House, now a museum.
You can meet Pearl in person at our annual Mount Pisgah Speaks event in September each year.
Pearl's Follies
Pearl’s Follies is held in March each year in honor of Pearl’s penchant for grand parties. It is the annual fundraiser for the Old Homestead House Museum which is Pearl’s original hotel and brothel preserved as it was in the 1890s. The event is done in Victorian elegance with dining and live entertainment. All proceeds benefit the Old Homestead House Museum.
Gold Rush Days
Victor, CO
The Gold Camp Victorian Society proudly marches in the annual Gold Rush Days parade in Victor, Colorado. Gold Rush Days started in 1895 in celebration of the town’s incorporation on July 16, 1894. The Victor Gold Rush Days event includes a carnival and street parade.
Christmas Parade
Cripple Creek, CO
The annual Cripple Creek Christmas Parade is a wonderful time to see and experience the wonder of the season in Victorian style. Our members get together several weeks in advance of the parade to set up and decorate our Christmas float together. These gatherings provide social interaction for members and promote friendships. What’s more is they usually include yummy seasonal snacks and libations making this a fun project that we all look forward to every year! Riding the float and walking in the parade in our best Victorian Christmas attire is a special treat for all of us. Christmas in the Gold Camp is a joyous time of remembrance when we experience a special connection with the original residents who lived in the gold camp in the 1890s.
Ice Festival
Cripple Creek, CO
The annual Cripple Creek Ice Festival is held over 2 weekends in February. The 2023 festival returned after a two year absence. Visitors can watch the sculptors creating beautiful sculptures in person. Some of the sculptures are interactive. Look for our Gold Camp Victorian Society members at the festival and stop and chat or take a picture. We’re always glad to see you!
Links to Local Events and Attractions for the Whole Family!
Pikes Peak Area Historic Tour App (Sponsored by Teller Historic and Environmental Coalition – T.H.E.)
Rita the Giant Troll (Sponsored by Tanya and Melody at ColoradoHikesandHops.com)
Old Homestead House Museum (Pearl DeVere)
The Best Experience Ever
