Boulder has always celebrated the arrival of winter and the holiday season in many ways! One longtime signal of colder weather is the appearance of the lit star on Flagstaff Mountain. It was first installed in December 1947 and continues to serve as a beacon on cold, dark nights. Check out these other Boulder holiday traditions from the past.
Holidays with or without snow
The city celebrates winter even without snow! Here, Stuart Mace and his sled dog team pull Santa in a holiday parade in 1946:
When snow does fall, the creek and mountains make for a beautiful winter scene. This undated photo shows a snowy Boulder Creek with Flagstaff Mountain in the background:
Boulder County Courthouse
The tradition of decorating the County Courthouse dates back decades; this photo shows the iconic downtown building lit up in 1959. The next photo shows an employee checking the light installation with the Flatirons in the background (1965).
Boulder community
Over the years, many local churches offered opportunities to get in the holiday spirit. Here are two young boys making holiday crafts in 1966.
Even during the Great Depression, Boulder was in the giving spirit. During the 1935 holiday season, men serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Boulder set up a toy repair workshop. In addition to their day jobs on Flagstaff Mountain, these men fixed hundreds of toys for local kids at the camp located at Baseline and 6th St.
The hunt for the perfect tree
For many years, the US Forest Service offered a “cut your own tree” sale. Driving up Boulder Canyon to Sugarloaf Mountain (depicted by the map below) became an annual tradition for many Boulder families. Cars topped with freshly cut trees made their way back to Boulder, as shown in this 1974 photo.
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa has made many appearances over the years in Boulder. In 1951, he posed with kids (and dogs!) in front of the County Courthouse, and in 1974, he greeted moms and kids outside the County Courthouse.
For more information on the history of holiday celebrations in Boulder, we encourage you to check out the Museum of Boulder’s extensive archives.
This post was written by the Museum of Boulder, in partnership with Elevations Credit Union.
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