History still has its feet rooted in the present in Cripple Creek, and no event symbolizes that more than the annual Donkey Derby Days. But this year, it almost slipped into the past forever.

“We faced tough times this year due to lack of funding and volunteers,” co-chair of Donkey Derby Days Annie Valades said. “The city of Cripple Creek couldn’t provide its customary funding because gambling revenues from all the casinos in Cripple Creek, on which they rely for events, have been down since the pandemic. They are providing many other services, however, which are extremely helpful.”

Donkey Derby Days will celebrate its 92nd year thanks to people such as Valades and the Two Mile Club, the all-volunteer nonprofit organization that cares for the town donkeys. The event this year takes place Friday through Sunday, and in addition to the donkey races will feature live music, kid-friendly activities, beer gardens and more than 60 vendors.

After a few meetings alongside the Two Mile Club, Valades stepped up to the plate as one of the co-chairs of the event. Years of event planning and organization prepared her to help Cripple Creek keep the historic tradition alive.

“I’m thinking, this has been going on for almost 100 years, and now we’re not going to do it?” Valades said. “I said, ‘Tell me a bit about it.’ I thought I’d be able to help since I’ve done quite a few events before. By the end of the meeting, I was the chair.”

Donkey Derby Days serves to honor the donkeys that were left behind by miners after modern equipment began to take the reins. Decades later, a lot of things have changed, but Cripple Creek’s desire to pay an annual homage to its beloved animals hasn’t.

“History is still alive and well in Cripple Creek,” Valades said. “We still have a very active gold mine, and people here take a great deal of pride in the history — there are many old buildings and murals here and some people have a family history of miners. I think these donkeys are a living symbol of the past.”

When people heard that Donkey Derby Days might not take place in 2023, local businesses and donkey lovers across the nation sent in donations to try to help.

“We’ve had people from as far away as New York say that, ‘We read this might not happen. Here’s $50,’” Valades said. “We got a lot of those small donations from people who really want this to keep going on. It’s all about our donkeys who require food, shelter, water and sometimes even medication up to twice a day.”

In years past, the event has attracted over 10,000 people a day, and this year Valades expects even more. Events like the annual parade, Friday’s street dance and a pancake breakfast are sure to keep attendees occupied all weekend. For each cornhole bag tossed and beer raised, the people of Cripple Creek and its visitors will once again celebrate the animals on which the city was built.