Festival of Mountain and Plain

Pioneer celebration in Denver

Clipping from the Kansas City Journal October 7, 1897

The Festival of Mountain and Plain was an annual celebration of pioneer days in the Old West held in early October in Denver from 1895 to 1899, and in 1901 with a final attempt at revival in 1912.[1] Organized by The Mountain and Plain Festival Association, the event featured a parade and rodeo. It continued until at least 1902. It was a regional celebration and drew pioneers from throughout the West, many of whom had participated in the events celebrated.[2][3]

William Byers, founder of the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's first newspaper, was one of its promoters and directors. He originated many of its features: the bal champedre (outdoor ball), a great public masquerade ball held on Broadway; and the four great parades: first, a pageant of western history; second, a masked parade; and, on the third day "a military and social parade, ending with a sham battle at City Park, and in the evening the parade of the slaves of the silver serpent."[4]

## Notes

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1. ^ "Denver Parks Guideline". Denver Public Library. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
2. ^ Rattenbury, Richard C. (2010). Arena Legacy: The Heritage of American Rodeo. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 358\. ISBN 0-8061-4084-4.
3. ^ Reynolds, Minnie J. (September 22, 1901). "AMONG The PIONEERS" (Magazine supplement). The New York Times. p. SM17. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
4. ^ Portrait and Biographical Record of Denver and Vicinity, Colorado. Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company. 1898. p. 145. Retrieved March 30, 2011. "The organization with which the name of Mr. Byers is now most intimately associated is the famous festival of mountain and plain, which has been held annually since 1895. He was a member of the first board of directors, and since the second year has been the president. Much of his time is given to preparation for this great celebration, which attracts thousands to Denver. Many of the most striking features of the festival are original with him, among them the bal champedre (outdoor ball), when five thousand or more persons, in masquerade attire, dance under a covered canvas on Broadway. There are four grand parades, the one on the first day representing a pageant of progress in the history of the state and five miles in length. On the second day occurs the great masked parade, while on the third day is the military and social parade, ending with a sham battle at City Park, and in the evening the parade of the slaves of the silver serpent."

## External links

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* Images of the Festival of Mountain and Plain from the Western History Collection, Denver Public Library
* Image of Dragon Float, Harper's Weekly
* "The Festival of Mountain and Plain" Pages 383-390 Proceedings of the Second Annual Convention of the Denver National Live Stock Association...with an Appendix on the City of Denver and Its Resources, (1899) compiled by John McNamara, Secretary, Association Festival of Mountain and Plain