Broomfield Days 2022

City Departments Gear Up for Full-Strength Broomfield Days

Broomfield Days is back! Mark your calendar for the main events on September 17!

The community favorite event that takes place each September is 100 percent back to normal this year, with registrations for the parade, vendor booths, and other events reaching 2019 levels, said Kay Gazaway, community events coordinator for the City and County of Broomfield. The event kicks off Friday, September 16, with the Senior Resources of Broomfield Golf Tournament in the afternoon and Lions Club Bingo at the Girl Scout Shelter at 7:00 p.m. and continues Saturday with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Lions Club, a clown contest on the main stage, the Mayor’s Cup 5K and Fun Run, a car show, the parade and many other activities.

Throughout the day, attendees can enjoy entertainment on the demonstration and performance stages, concerts on the main stage, carnival games, a petting zoo, arts and crafts, and concessions. Also this year, the Colorado Department of Public Health will have its vaccine bus at Broomfield Days for free COVID vaccines beginning at 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

Because there is no entry gate or ticket required, attendance numbers are always a guesstimate, but planners estimate approximately 20,000 community members attend Broomfield Days each year, said Gazaway.

Even pets have a place at Broomfield Days with BowWow Broomfield, an area set up just for dogs. The day will be full of furry fun with pet-related vendors and the always-anticipated DockDogs contests. DockDogs is a sport in which dogs compete in distance or height while jumping from a 40-foot dock into water. There are three disciplines: Big Air (dogs are judged based on the distance jumped), Extreme Vertical (the dog that jumps the highest takes the prize) and Speed Retrieve (a doggy drag race where the fastest rules the pool).

Behind the Scenes

Planning for Broomfield Days begins at the end of each year for the following year’s Broomfield Days, said Gazaway. By January, the entertainment and infrastructure are secured, and organizers begin creating registration pages and updating the event website. Starting April 1, vendors begin to register for one of 300 booth spaces.

The Parks Department also plays a major role in preparing for and running the event. Beginning the Monday before Broomfield Days, the department begins sprucing up the park, lifting tree limbs that might interfere with vendor vehicles, mowing and trimming the grass, and weeding and deadheading flowerbeds. Also during the week leading up to the Broomfield Days, the department cleans out the ditch for the Duck Race, including removing major debris, brooming the ditch to Midway Avenue, and pressure washing and cleaning the rocks and concrete drain pan.

The department is responsible for laying out and painting vendor booth spaces, assisting vendors as they set up, helping set up the Dock Dogs pool, setting up trash and recycling stations, and transporting golf carts, picnic tables, and bleachers.

Altogether, the parks department puts in about 550 hours of prep work, 396 hours of work during the event, and 189 hours cleaning up, said Kevin Ewerks, Parks Services supervisor for the City and County of Broomfield.

“Parks has a great staff and it runs pretty darn smooth,” said Ewerks. “It’s our biggest event of the year and that’s just our part. Recreation, streets, and many other departments put in a lot of hours to make this work.”

In addition to city employees, Broomfield Days relies on approximately 150 volunteers. Community members can sign up to volunteer at Broomfield’s VolunteerHub website.

“Broomfield Days is a much-loved, longstanding tradition,” said Gazaway. “The festival creates wonderful memories and residents often share with me how they remember coming to the Broomfield Days when they were kids and now their children are in the parade or performing on the Demo Stage. There really is something for everyone, and all ages enjoy the day filled with a parade, carnival rides, athletic dogs, live music, great food, cold beer, and lots of vendor booths to explore.”

What to Know Before You Go

• Broomfield Days is free to attend. Food and beer vendors usually take credit cards but cash is needed to buy ride tickets.

• Parking on the side streets and the Garden Center fills up fast so consider riding your bike. Boy Scout Troop #337 hosts a bike corral every year at Broomfield Days.

• A large section of ADA parking is reserved at the Garden Center for guests with an ADA placard or license plate.

For a full schedule of events, maps, and more information visit: broomfield.org/BroomfieldDays

Willey Named Parade Grand Marshall

The City and County of Broomfield has announced that the votes are in and the 2022 Broomfield Days Parade Grand Marshall is Jay Willey!

As reported on the City’s Facebook page, Jay Willey has lived in the Broomfield community for more than 50 years. As a Personal Trainer with the City and County of Broomfield, Jay has trained about every demographic in the Broomfield community to lead healthy, productive, and more enjoyable lives. His influence and knowledge has touched thousands of lives over the years. Jay has trained and welcomed members of all communities in the spirit of inclusivity, kindness, and respect.

2022 Broomfield Days Logo A Tribute to Shep

Congratulations to Natasha on winning the 2022 Broomfield Days Design contest. Natasha created the logo as a dedication to Shep, Broomfield’s legendary turnpike dog. For fourteen years, in the early years of Broomfield, Shep lived at the tollbooth of the Boulder- Denver Turnpike.

According to the Broomfield Depot Museum, though many loved the pup who appeared in 1950, where he came from remains a mystery. One story is that workers found the black and white dog while constructing the Boulder-Denver Turnpike tollbooths and befriended him. Once U.S. 36 opened, tollbooth operators adopted Shep and he settled into a life of greeting cars and keeping tollmen company.

Shep quickly became the most popular attraction on the new highway and the highlight of many drives. Families, salesmen, and daily commuters would bring him food and treats. He became an unofficial mascot for Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) — and a painted portrait of Shep still hangs in their offices.

Broomfield Days Poster Contest Lifelong Broomfield Resident’s Painting Brings Sunset Scene to Life

Andrea Wallace grew up on one side of Nissen Reservoir and now lives on the other side in adulthood. The waterway provides just one of dozens of impeccable views in Broomfield and is part of what makes our City so beautiful. Her painting illustrating the lake just before sunset has been selected as this year’s commemorative Broomfield Days poster.

“I feel so lucky to walk out my door and take just a few steps to be able to see the most amazing, most colorful sunsets reflected on the water of Nissen Lake,” said Andrea. “Painting is a relaxing, creative outlet for me, and I am honored to have my interpretation of Broomfield’s beauty selected for this year’s poster.”

The annual contest is organized through the Broomfield Council on Arts and Humanities (BCAH). The contest was originated by Broomfield residents Joe and Carol Dankey in 1988 and they ran it for 20 years before passing the project to BCAH.

A limited number of poster prints will be available for sale at Broomfield Days this year.