It’s that time of year again!
Broomfield Days is right around the corner on September 19. I have a lifetime of Broomfield Days memories! Broomfield Days started as the Broomfield Boom in 1957, and while I was not born yet, my grandfather was part of Broomfield’s initial business community and helped plan that first event.
My own earliest memory of Broomfield Days goes back to 1976 – the bicentennial. I was six years old. I remember standing with my family in front of the fire station on Midway Blvd. as the parade went by, catching candy, listening to the bands, and watching the flags wave. The air was electric! And even though I didn’t really understand community yet, I know I felt proud of my hometown.
Broomfield was 15 years old. Since then, Broomfield Days is an annual calendar highlight that I would not dream of missing (and rarely have). Marching with Kohl Elementary as a kid and then as a Broomfield High School cheerleader, attending the trade fair, eating the treats, watching performances, playing games, and dozens of other activities as a teen, and then bringing my own kids to Broomfield Days to do it all again. In recent years, my Broomfield Days participation has centered around representing this magazine, meeting dozens of readers, and giving away swag.
This year, we decided to do something different with our Broomfield Days coverage and asked some familiar Broomfield faces why they love Broomfield Days and to share their favorite memories. You can read the collection starting on page 29.
As part of gathering memories, I sat down with two of the folks featured. First, I would never pass up a chance to have breakfast with Mr. Paul Derda, who served as master of ceremonies of the parade for 40 years, and take a walk down Broomfield Days memory lane. I am not sure which of us enjoyed our chat more!
In addition, I connected with City Manager Jennifer Hoffman. Jennifer also has decades of fond Broomfield Days experiences, but as we talked, she reminded me of one very important fact: Seventy percent of Broomfield residents have lived here 10 years or less.
As much as I enjoy seeing old friends, neighbors, family, and colleagues at the celebration, I also love meeting new people who are experiencing Broomfield Days for the first time and going home with a bucket of happy feelings about their new community. I especially like when people tell me that they learned about Broomfield Days by reading this magazine! After all, that is our purpose – sharing local information and creating connections.
So as is traditional for me, I would like to extend an invitation. If you are new to town or have never experienced Broomfield Days, mark your calendar and make it a date. The fun begins early in the morning on Sept. 19 at Midway Park and lasts all day! You can read the full schedule starting on page 28. The 65th Anniversary of Broomfield is a great time to spend a day immersed in community and experiencing the magic of our amazing hometown. You will be glad you joined the fun.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you at Broomfield Days!
Tina
