The audience in Boyle Park cheers as Alice, a burro wearing a yellow polka-dot bikini, steps tentatively over the highest hurdle during the fifth annual Burro Fest. Alice then stops, only 20 feet from the Olympic rings that signal the end of the Olympics-themed obstacle course. Her handler pulls on her lead, urging the animal through the last few feet to the finish line.
On Saturday, more than 1,000 people headed to Mancos for Burro Fest. For the town of Mancos and its businesses, it’s the biggest day of the year, said Stephanie Hallum, event coordinator for Mancos Creative District, in an interview with The Journal.
At 10:30 a.m., the main event started – the obstacle course. Spectators cheered as the burros, dressed in costumes related to the Olympic theme, competed in groups of two. The donkeys earn points based on how well they complete each of the seven obstacles, as well as how fast they complete the whole course.
Siggi, the champion of this year’s Burro Fest obstacle course, seemed to be made for this competition, completing the course five times, sometimes in less than a minute. Handler Suzanne Velasquez said Burro Fest is the only event they travel to in Colorado, making the 12-hour drive just to attend. “We love it so much,” said Velasquez, who works with Forever Home Donkey Rescue in Benson, Arizona.
“They’re not stubborn, they’re cautious,” said Veryl Goodnight, a Mancos artist and one of the founders of Burro Fest, about the animals. “As soon as you gain their trust, they’ll do anything for you. It might not be in your timeline, but they’ll do it.”
Goodnight and Anne Beach, the former executive director for Mancos Creative District, originally had the idea to bring burros to town and have artists sketch them. Goodnight has long since been inspired by burros and has often featured them in her art.
“I recognize the importance of an extremely close connection between the artist and the model, and I want to introduce this concept to up-and-coming artists,” said Goodnight. Burro Fest was born out of connecting artists to an animal and letting them develop a relationship while creating a piece of art.
Each of the 9 competing burros were partnered with a local artist. Animal and artist were introduced in February, and the artist had the following months to create art of their animal.
Sarah Drummond, one of the local artists, was partnered with a burro named Coco, who lives in Cave Creek, Arizona. Drummond said Coco’s owner sent her pictures and videos of the burro over the months and that she finally got to hike with Coco a few days before the festival.
“That was really fun to see if I had gotten her right, and great to see her personality really come out,” said Drummond. In the front of her booth hangs her watercolor art of Coco, featuring the burro eating purple thistles.
Burros as a pack animal were a key figure in the mining history of the San Juan Mountains, said Goodnight. In Mancos, that history is combined with the artistic flair of the town to create an event that is unique and fun for all ages.
While no one had an exact number during the event, everyone from the volunteers to the attendees to the organizers agreed that more people were present at the 2024 Burro Fest than in any previous year. Upward of 50 volunteers worked in shifts to keep the event running smoothly.
Jessica Randall and Silvia Fleitz, announcers for the obstacle course, said that people were in attendance from as far away as Arkansas, Canada, Virginia and Minnesota. Some attendees said their families make a point to visit from out of town just to attend Burro Fest.
This year’s Burro Fest featured 10 animal artists: Shawn Ahkeah, Dana Aldis, Sarah Drummond, Alys Hansen, Miki Harder, Elizabeth Kinahan, Susan Matteson, Jenn Rawling, Cynthia Sadler and Dai Salwen.
A Makers Market featured more than 20 additional local artists and makers from around the Montezuma County area. Live bands performed throughout the afternoon with music from Hotel Draw and Alex Graf’s Bluegrass Super Pac. A kid's area entertained children with a bouncy house, burro-stick crafts, face painting and more. A silent auction and a raffle also took place throughout the day.
Food trucks, including Mona Makes, Chuckwagon, Subversion, and Yia Yia kept attendees well-fed, and a beer garden kept the drinks flowing. Local businesses and restaurants on Grand Avenue were packed, including the brand-new Hand in Hand, a bookstore and wine shop that opened only a few weeks before the big event.
Hallum, the event coordinator, said the festival was going very well, with even bigger crowds than expected.
