A kids parade started the 24th annual Tommyknockers festival in Central City on December 1, 2022, at about 2 p.m. Two buses of Gilpin County school students unloaded in the Teller House parking lot,120 Eureka St., Central City, CO, and walked down the sidewalk passed the Teller House, down Eureka Street to Maine Street and then all the way back to the Teller House,

Some sang Jingle Bells. They were joined by other community members.

Teller House is a historic hotel in Central City, Colorado. Built in 1872, the building also serves as a casino and restaurant. The bar at the Teller House is well known for the “Face on the Barroom Floor,” a painting of a woman’s face on the wooden floor, done in 1936 by local artist Herndon Davis, as a joke after being fired by the Teller House.

At the Teller House, the children were seated and heard songs from the Middle School Choir. The kids were joined by Father Time and Barbara Thielemann dressed as Mrs. Santa Claus, and Shirley Vorheese who helped coordinate the event. She said about 180 Gilpin County Students and their teachers attended the event. Each child received a goody bag on their way out.

Once the students were seated, Theilmann said this event was sponsored by Maine Street, Central City and Peak to Peak Rotary.

She then introduced the Story Lady, who told three tales to the students. The first was about a chicken who walked into a library and wanted to read all the books. The librarian said this is the strangest thing she has ever seen.

The chicken then walked out to a pond by the library where they discovered a huge frog. She had the children make the sounds for the chicken and the frog.

Then she told the story about a mama goat with seven children living in the woods. Mama went to the store leaving the kids alone and telling them not to answer the door, but a big wolf convinced the kids to let him in and he ate them.

Upon returning home, mama goat finds her children gone but she finds the wolf asleep with his tummy bulgy out, and she uses her resources to get the kids out of the wolf. She directs the kids to build snow balls, and the wolf trips over one and tumbles down and his never been heard from again.

Her third story told how the eagle became the leader of birds. During a big gathering of birds at the dawn of time, the birds wanted to elect a leader.

The owl said it should be based on wisdom and the sparrow said it should be based on acrobatics. The eagle said it should be based on flying, which the birds do.

The next morning, the eagle took the sparrow on his back and flew as high as he could before releasing the sparrow. The other birds asked what that was in the sky and it was the sparrow.

The Great Creator smiled after seeing what the eagle had done and gave him a white head as the leader of all the birds because he did something to help someone else.

After the stories, the Middle School Choir performed, and the children were let back to their buses.

Other events for Tommyknockers included Friday, December 2, 6:30 p.m. lighting of the city tree and candle and carol walk and 7 p.m. a community potluck at the Teller House and an Ugly Sweater Contest.

From Saturday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, December 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be the Holiday Bazaar at the Teller House featuring food, crafts, and various contests (children’s coloring, Victorian Costume, cookie decorating, and gingerbread house decorating).