Lighting of Breckenridge
In December 2022, my girlfriends and I were on a little road trip through Colorado. It was a Saturday morning and we were headed south from Glenwood Springs to Canyon City where we would take the Royal Gorge Route Railroad scenic train on Sunday. We were on day 2 of driving the I-70 in the most wild of snow storms we have ever been in. We're from Buffalo and used to snow storms, how bad could it be?! HA! Add mountains, guardrails, switchbacks, wind and it brings driving in the snow to whole new level. Our GPS was taking us through Breckenridge so we planned to stop for a bite to eat in hopes we could kill some time to allow the snow to let up a bit.
We arrive in town and the first thing we notice is a family waiting to cross the road dressed as Santa, Mrs. Claus and two little baby Santas. We drive to the next block and there are even more people dressed as Santa. I look to my left and there is a bernese mountain dog crossing the road, pulling a cart. The dog and cart are decorated in lights and all things Christmas! Just behind this pup was another berner. I look across the road and 3 more! I have no idea what the heck we just stumbled across but now I'm yelling to my girlfriends "OMG, holy crap, what is going on, are you seeing this".
After seeing a dozen or more berners dressed up and Santas walking around, we all agreed that we were staying for more than just a bite to eat. So we park and make our way across a footbridge that leads from a parking lot, onto main street and BOOM, we are standing in the center of a the most picturesque hallmark town with dogs EVERYWHERE! We just caught the tail end of the Bernese Mountain Dog Parade which is part of the lighting of Breckenridge festival they have every year in December.
This was the definition of right place, right time for a dog photographer. It is now 2023 and I just got home from my 3rd year attending the festival. My first year, crossing that footbridge, I met a woman and her pup. I photographed Mindy and Maisy and we've kept in touch ever since. Shes invited me to join her and her bernese mountain dog loving friends on their annual hike the morning of the parade. I have met so many incredible people and dogs and shared now 3 years with friends and family in our annual December vacation from Buffalo to Breck.
Be sure to click the links below to see if you can spot yourself or your pups in the parade!
