This is the 93rd year for Donkey Derby Days! It is the largest summer event and tops the list of favorite Cripple Creek attractions. This year the event will be held June 28-30. This is a change from holding the event in August, the past few years.
People from all over the world descend on downtown to be inspired by the town’s resident donkey herd, who roam Cripple Creek in honor of the original Cripple Creek donkeys from the town’s Gold Rush days.
Enjoy our beer gardens, food vendors, retail vendors, kids activities, donkeys, and live music!
Schedule:
Friday June 28th: Live music (Wild Blue Country) and Street Dance Friday night 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm @ District Museum
Saturday June 29th: Pancake Breakfast at the Fire Station 7:00-10:00 am. Vendors and Kids Zone open starting at 10:00 – 5:00 pm! Parade at 11:00 am. Beer Gardens open from 11:00 – 10:00 pm. Donkey races at 12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45, & 3:45 pm (final heat and awards)! History Comes Alive in Pocket Park at 1:00 & 3:00 pm. Live music all day!
Sunday June 30th: Vendors and Kids Zone open 10:00 – 5:00 pm. Beer Gardens open from 11:00 – 5:00 pm. Live music beginning at 11:30 & 2:00 pm.
Music Schedule:
The Two Mile High Club (TMHC), caretakers of the Cripple Creek Donkeys, announces the concert lineup for the 93rd Annual Donkey Derby Days festival, June 28-30. “We are thrilled to feature the United States Air Force ‘Wild Blue Country’ band as our headliner on Friday and Saturday nights,” said Sando Sandoval, concert organizer, “and, the tremendous music doesn’t stop there. We’ll showcase various genres and present an extraordinary upcoming musician, Maddox Ross.” All concerts are free to the public and take place on the District Museum stage located at 5th and Bennett Avenue.
Friday night music from classic rock and popular favorites to country and folk will fill the air with local Cripple Creek favorite Larry’s Garage Band from 4-5:30 p.m. USAFA’s Wild Blue Country returns to Donkey Derby Days at 6:30 p.m. after a hugely popular appearance last year. Wild Blue Country, featured many times on national television and at the Grand Ole Opry, will once again energize the streets of Cripple Creek.
Saturday’s lineup begins with Mimic, playing tunes from the best classic rock hits from the 1960s through the 1990s. Returning favorite, JustUs, follows at 3:30 p.m., with dynamic country and rock that keeps people grooving on the dance floor. Wild Blue Country tops off the biggest day of Donkey Derby Days on Saturday evening from 6:30-9:00.
Start your day on Sunday, June 30, with an Irish flair at 11:00 a.m., with The McDeviants, a Colorado-based Celtic Folk Rock band, followed by returning favorites, the Tenderfoot Bluegrass Band, at 1:30 p.m.
At 4:00 p.m., Maddox Ross takes the stage. Hailing from central Oklahoma and the grandson of the Two Mile High Club’s own Donkey Wrangler, Dale (and “Gramma Pat”) McKenzie. This 20-year-old singer/songwriter/musician and actor is quickly making his mark in country music. He has had the opportunity to open for and share the stage with artists such as the late great Toby Keith, John Rich (Big & Rich), and Neal McCoy. Philanthropy is also front and center for this young musician, “Anything to do with Veterans is near and dear to me. There are a lot of Veterans in my family, so one of the songs I wrote, “Real Men Wear Purple,” was in honor of my Godfather, who is a Purple Heart recipient.”
When Toby Keith heard Maddox perform that song, he said, “Kid, that song’s a hit.” “When one of your heroes tells you something like that, you never forget it. I remember every second like it was yesterday,” Ross said during his phone conversation from Oklahoma. You can find Maddox on social media and all streaming platforms @MaddoxRossMusic. For more information, visit www.maddoxrossmusic.com.
For more information or to make a donation, visit our website at cripplecreekdonkeys.com
