While the summer days have been rolling by, a committee of volunteers have been periodically gathering, toiling away, preparing for the first big weekend in August, when the Town of Nederland celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Members of the Nederland Area Historical Society, Nederland Area Seniors, Nederland Lions Club, and the Nederland Community Presbyterian Church, along with representatives of Wild Bear Nature Center and the Town’s Parks Department, Community Library, and Community Center, met on Thursday, June 27, 2024, to finalize plans for each event to take place during the sesquicentennial celebration.

Town’s Public Engagement Manager Peter Cacek led the meeting, allowing each organizational lead to present to the group any updates, questions, or concerns regarding their specific event. Currently there are countless informational and interactive booths and ten major events planned to take place across three days.

The following plans are not yet finalized; the times and details of every event are subject to change.

Promotions for Ned 150: Dawn Baumhover (left) and Ann Marie Morgan (right) of the volunteer committee finalizing the promotional materials for the Ned 150. Above, right: Eighth grader Lucy Budde’s winning design for the 150th logo will be on stickers, as well as t-shirts and hoodies.[/caption]

Friday, August 2

The Nederland Community Presbyterian Church will be hosting a Community Dinner on Friday evening. The church is offering their space for the serving of a potluck style dinner, with attendees free to enjoy sitting out in the garden or inside the church’s newly revamped Fellowship Hall.

A custom Nederland 150th themed cake, designed by Natalie Duplessy of Peace Love and Cake will also be served at the dinner.

Parking will be available at the Visitor’s Center, the RTD lot, and behind the church on West 3rd Street. Cacek indicated that the current plan is to close North Jefferson Street for the entire day, starting at 9 a.m.

The committee discussed running the potluck similarly to the Thanksgiving potluck held every year at the community center, and asking attendees to bring their own dishes and utensils, to cut down on waste and dishwashing labor.

Eighth grader Lucy Budde’s winning design for the 150th logo will be on stickers, as well as t-shirts and hoodies.[/caption]

A Barn Dance, hosted by the Peak to Peak Chamber of Commerce, will immediately follow the dinner. Mary Joyce and the Sesquicentennial String Band are scheduled to play. Their caller will lead the crowd through the steps.

The Chamber will be reaching out to Time Served Productions for the stage and equipment needed for the band.

Saturday, August 3

Nederland Area Seniors and Nederland Area Historical Society are collaborating with the Nederland Lions Club, who are organizing and hosting a Pancake Breakfast for Saturday morning.

The breakfast aims to serve those who are a part of Nederland history, and honor those still with us and those who will never be forgotten. There will be yearbooks from 1938 to the 2000s on display, as well as other historical memorabilia.

Historic maps will be displayed as part of an interactive exhibit, allowing people to highlight places and memories on them. The maps will then be preserved and buried in a time capsule.

Lions Club President Ann Marie Morgan noted that volunteers are needed for Friday and Saturday. Eight volunteers are requested to help set up for the Pancake Breakfast on Friday night, 3 to 5 p.m. 12 volunteers are required on Saturday, from 7 to 11:45 a.m., for kitchen and food service duty, as well as for cleanup after the event.

For those who wish to volunteer, contact by email: INFO@mountainpeaklife.org or NEDERLANDLIONSCLUB@gmail.com, or call Nederland Area Seniors at 303-258-0799, or Morgan at 303-653-4327.

A parade is scheduled for noon, which will follow the same route around downtown Nederland as the July 4 parade. Longtime resident Jeanette Smith has been nominated as the grand marshal, and those participating in the parade are encouraged to wear historic costumes from their favorite era of time in Nederland’s history.

There will be many small events and activities hosted all through the Town on Saturday. An Ugly Truck Contest will take place, with the trucks to be featured in the parade and stationed along East Street, by Guercio Field.

The Gillaspie House Museum at 363-449 North Bridge Street plans to host a bake sale and will be open for extended hours. The Nederland Mining Museum at 200 North Bridge Street will have many attractions, including merchandise booths and a blacksmithing demonstration.

The Bucyrus Model 50-B steam shovel will also be operating and blowing its whistle throughout the day.

The Nederland Middle-Senior High School eighth grade class’s Local Legends and Landmarks presentations will be available to view at the Nederland Community Library.

The Indian Peaks Radio Club will also be setting up a live demonstration of ham radio operations in front of the Visitor’s Center on Saturday. Additionally, a chalk art contest is planned at the Nathan Lazarus Skate Park, as well as more art themed activities to be hosted at the Carousel of Happiness.

Parks Manager Nicki Dunn is planning to have East 1st Street closed to vehicle traffic all day Saturday, and into the night for a live concert. The concert is part of the Nederland Downtown Development Authority’s Summer Concert Series, organized by Time Served Productions. The exact location of the concert has yet to be determined.

Sunday, August 4

The Nederland Community Presbyterian Church, Calvary Church, and St. Rita Catholic Church, will be holding a joint service in Chipeta Park on Sunday morning. A time has yet to be set for this event.

A car show is being planned for Sunday, tentatively scheduled to take place in the north side of the Caribou Village Shopping Center, though the venue is not yet cemented. Participants are currently being invited to showcase their vehicles; one community member suggested reaching out to Stephen Tebo, as he is a known car enthusiast.

The final event planned for Sunday is the ceremonial burial of a Time Capsule, to be buried in front of Nederland Town Hall. The original draft of the 150th logo, designed by eighth grader Lucy Budde, will be included in the capsule, as well as the interactive maps displayed at the pancake breakfast.

Brian Biggs of the Parks Department addressed the committee about the current plan for the capsule, stating that it should be a waterproof metal cylinder capable of withstanding pressure. The cylinder would be threaded so it could be easily sealed and reopened, and Biggs suggested having the exterior painted.

Keep a lookout after this 4th of July holiday for posters, fliers, and other promotional materials about the Nederland 150th Anniversary to begin circulating. And keep reading The Mountain-Ear for the latest updates on all the hard work happening behind the scenes.