From an art market in downtown Denver to a pancake supper in Olathe, public events will be held all across the state this weekend to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood.

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A proclamation by President Ulysses S. Grant on August 1, 1876, admitted Colorado as the 38th state in the union. Coming less than a month after the nation’s 100th birthday celebration, Grant’s proclamation ensured that Colorado would be known by the nickname that a Denver newspaper had first suggested a year earlier — the Centennial State.

Now, after the commemoration earlier this month of its semiquincentennial, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Colorado’s 150th birthday party — its sesquicentennial — will take center stage. The state’s America 250-Colorado 150 commission was established by the Legislature in 2022 to coordinate the celebration of the twin anniversaries, dubbed the “sesquisemiquincentennial.”

The commission approved 12 signature initiatives for 2026, including a documentary film series, a new historic marker program, a “digital passport” program to encourage travel and tourism around the state, and “A Portrait of Colorado at 150,” a collection of oral histories from at least 150 living Coloradans. Its website includes an expansive list of events commemorating Colorado’s 150th anniversary throughout the summer.

Colorado Day

Denver’s Civic Center Park will kick off this weekend’s events with a “Homegrown Colorado” night market on Friday. More than 90 Colorado-based vendors will showcase local food, beverages and other artisanal products at the event, which is free and open to the public.

On Colorado Day, August 1, the main event in downtown Denver will be a Community Fest hosted by History Colorado in the Golden Triangle, just south of Civic Center Park and the state Capitol. The festival will begin with a free pancake breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by musical performances, a street festival and an art market.

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The History Colorado Center, the Center for Colorado Women’s History and the Denver Art Museum will offer free admission throughout the festival. A museum exhibit, “38th Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State,” is currently on display at the History Colorado Center.

The Colorado Capitol building will be open for its own celebration on Colorado Day. Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera and state lawmakers will be on hand for a schedule of events that includes a reenactment of Colorado’s 1876 statehood proclamation, a new art exhibit in the Capitol rotunda, the dedication of a commemorative tapestry and the ceremonial cutting of a 150th birthday cake.

The Governor’s Residence at Boettcher Mansion will also host two open house events between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Colorado State Archives, too, will host public tours of its collections on July 31.

Other events in the Denver area on Saturday include the Colorado Day BAZAAR at Commons Park, scheduled to begin at noon and featuring performances from Denver bands like Los Mocochetes and Brothers of Brass; the Mile High 150 Expo air show at 4 p.m. at Broomfield’s Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport; and the Mile Long Table, a food-focused event at the National Western Center beginning at 5 p.m.

A special 250-150 drone show will follow the Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field on August 1, with the first 15,000 fans receiving a commemorative Colorado at 150 flag, while the Colorado Rapids will celebrate Colorado Night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with postgame fireworks.

14er climbs

Local events are also planned in communities across the state, from an ice cream social in Kiowa to a 150th Birthday Bash in Olathe. Events in Colorado Springs include a daytime celebration at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum and the United We Rock festival at Rock Ledge Ranch.

In partnership with the state’s Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry, select teams of climbers will ascend many of Colorado’s “14ers” on Saturday in another of the America 250-Colorado 150 commission’s signature initiatives. Applicants to participate in the commemorative climbs were selected through a public lottery.

A list of events across the state can be found on the America 250-Colorado 150 website.