Thousands expected for Goldens in Golden 2026: What to know

DENVER (KDVR) — Pioneers first came to Colorado as prospectors for gold, and today, people come in search of gold in the form of wagging tails and smiling pups.

The annual Goldens in Golden event is happening on Saturday morning in Golden. Thousands of people and their dogs, from Colorado and beyond, will flood Main Street in the unofficial worlds largest gathering of golden retrievers.

The event started in 2019 and has become a beloved tradition for many. It is typically held around International Golden Retriever Day, on Feb. 3. Last year, an estimated 10,000 people and 3,500 dogs came to the mining town for the celebration, according to a press release.

Goldens in Golden is well known for its photo opportunities, particularly the annual group photo taken under the “Welcome To Golden” sign. However there are lots of activities happening all weekend long in coordination with the event.

Events for Goldens in Golden

The main celebration is free to attend and is happening on Main Street on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., plus there will be events all weekend long.

The group photos will be taken at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon under the arch at Washington Avenue and 12th Street.

There will be games, contests, entertainment, meetups and more. There will be two vendor villages with local and national businesses and nonprofits, as well as local food and drink options. Also, many restaurants in the area welcome four-legged friends during the event.

Most activities will take place in the downtown corridor, with the main gathering under the arch, a vendor village and specialty group meetups at Parfet Park at Washington Avenue and 10th Street, and events like a mayoral election and fashion show at the Pup-Up Tent in the parking lot between 12th and 13th Streets.

The Golden Mill will have a kick off party on Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, pup cups, adoption opportunities and more, as well as an after party on Saturday evening.

The villages will have lots of booths with activities and photo opportunities, like a free Valentines dress up doggy photo booth

Some of the entertainment includes dog contests, fashion shows, dog shows, meetups, dog friendly activities, a mayoral election, awards and more. A map and full list and schedule of events can be found on the Visit Golden website.

Parking and dog-friendly shuttles

The downtown area is expected to be quite busy for the event, so finding parking may be difficult.

Luckily, there will be free parking at The Splash at 3151 Illinois St. and free dog-friendly shuttles going to Parfet Park from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will also be a drop off and rideshare area near the Clear Creek parking lot, which is about a two minute walk from the event.

Attendees can find parking maps at ParkGoldenCo. Visit Golden said neighborhood parking will not be available for visitors and will be monitored. There will be paid parking available at the Colorado School of Mines.

Prepare before you go

Visit Golden asks attendees to pick up after themselves and their pets to keep the space clean and enjoyable for all. Attendees are also asked to stay on marked walkways to reduce wear on open spaces.

Be sure to bring hydration for yourself and your dog, and maybe bring a dog sweater and prepare for possible moody weather. It is supposed to be partly cloudy with warm temperatures in the 60s in the Denver metro area this weekend.

Attendees are also asked to keep their dogs on leashes for the event.

Visit Golden has an RSVP page as it conducts an unofficial count on the human and canine attendees, and where they come from.

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