The 88th annual Bronc Day Festival takes place this Saturday, July 25, in Green Mountain Falls — a mountain community approximately 20 minutes west of Colorado Springs on U.S. Highway 24. Admission is free for the entire event, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes a pancake breakfast, a community parade, live music, food trucks, a pie contest, and dancing.

This year's theme is "Let Freedom Ring," marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and Colorado's 150th anniversary of statehood. Retired Fire Chief Steve Murphy of the Green Mountain Falls–Chipita Park Fire Department will serve as Grand Marshal of the parade.

Schedule and Activities

The day starts with a pancake breakfast at Church in the Wildwood, United Church of Christ, at 10585 Ute Pass Avenue. Breakfast runs from 7:30 to 10 a.m. and is a long-standing Bronc Day tradition that gives families a chance to settle in before the parade.

At 10 a.m., the parade steps off on Ute Pass Avenue. The route winds through the heart of Green Mountain Falls, with the Grand Marshal, community groups, and local participants making their way through the small mountain town.

After the parade, the action shifts to Gazebo Lake Park at 100 Lake St., where activities continue through 3 p.m. The park hosts live music performances, a pie contest, art vendors, food trucks, and dancing. Gazebo Lake Park is one of Green Mountain Falls' defining landmarks — a small gazebo on a lake surrounded by pine trees, giving the event a setting that is noticeably different from a typical city festival.

About the Event

Bronc Day is the last Saturday of July every year, and 2026 marks the 88th consecutive edition. That kind of continuity — nearly nine decades of the same community gathering for the same event — is genuinely rare. Green Mountain Falls, a town of just a few hundred residents, draws families and visitors from throughout the Pikes Peak region each year for this one day.

The "Let Freedom Ring" theme adds a layer of significance to this edition. Both the U.S. 250th anniversary and Colorado's 150th anniversary fall in 2026, and a number of community events across the state have incorporated that framing this summer. For Bronc Day, a festival with deep roots in local and regional identity, the timing feels appropriate.

Planning Your Visit

Green Mountain Falls is on U.S. Highway 24, the same road that leads to Woodland Park, about 20 minutes from central Colorado Springs. Parking in the village is limited on Bronc Day — arriving early, particularly for the breakfast, gives families the best chance at convenient parking. Bring cash for food trucks and vendors; cell service in the mountains can be inconsistent for mobile payments.

The event is outdoors and at a higher elevation than Colorado Springs, which can mean cooler temperatures in the morning and afternoon. Light layers are recommended, especially for families with younger children.

What's Next

Bronc Day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at Gazebo Lake Park in Green Mountain Falls. More details are available at broncdayfestival.org. COS Parenting will continue to surface free and low-cost family events in the Colorado Springs area and surrounding mountain communities throughout the summer.