As folks gathered at Fairplay beach to listen to a free concert while the sun set behind the mountains, vendors set up their tents between the occasional rain shower and fireworks kicked off the 66th annual Fairplay Burro Days.
Burro Days brought together 35 sponsors, more than 160 vendors, musical acts and a crowd of 10,00 people to share in the excitement.
Even though the burro race on Sunday was the focus of the festival, there were plenty of events and attractions to fill a weekend of fun.
It started in 1949 with a challenge: race with a burro from Leadville to Fairplay. The word went out and by race day 21 mountain towns found their contestants. The current race is run from Fairplay up to Mosquito Pass and back to Fairplay. The runners reach an elevation of 13,185 feet at the top of Mosquito Pass. The course is 28-30 miles long.
The proceeds collected from the races, booth rentals and other donations go to the Park Country School District Re-2 schools.
