Manitou Springs celebrates 30 years of history at annual Carnivale
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Manitou Springs celebrated their 30th annual Carnivale Saturday at Memorial Park.
The theme this year is 'Manitou Time Machine', so people are dressed up in costumes of the decades. For example, western cowboys to 70's hippies.
It's always held the weekend before Mardi Gras, and begins with a gumbo cook off.
"I started in 2014, but as the years have gone on, there's been more people coming here from Louisiana because of being in the military," gumbo chef Paul Haas said.
Lauren Chism has been coming to the carnivale for 6 years and competing in the gumbo cook off for 2.
"I grew up in Louisiana where it comes from so I grew up eating all the cajan foods, so I wanted to share my version of it with everyone here," Lauren said. "Mardi gras is a southern holiday so I think bringing southern food with that is a great idea. I think it's amazing that Manitou brings it all the way over here."
Paul and Sawyer Haas, a father and son duo from Southeast Texas, say cooking has kept family tradition alive.
"The inspiration is my pop," Sawyer said. "Cooking has always been a thing me and my pop share."
"I enjoy teaching my son my secrets and hopefully he can carry that down to his kids and pass it through the family," Paul said.
The gumbo chefs planned and prepared, competing for trophies and cash prizes. All while honoring the last 30 years of Manitou history.
"Spreading that culture is an amazing thing," Lauren said. "Like being able to experience things that aren't always in Colorado. I think just bringing that Louisiana and southern culture here is amazing. I think it's important to share that."
For the landmark 30th anniversary of this carnivale, it celebrated culture, tradition, and family.
"It's so special," parade goer and gumbo judge Lyn Ettinger-Harwell said. "We're probably one of the only places to celebrate something like this in the United States outside of the south."
"It's about people and what they grew up doing," Sawyer said. "You can really bring that out in food the way they grew up. To be able to enjoy Mardi Gras somewhere so far away, it's amazing because Mardi Gras is a big thing where I come from."
Following the cook off, there was a parade complete with costumes, dressed up pets, puppets, and the King, Queen, and Court.
"I've been involved with the carnivale for a long time," Lyn said. "The gumbo cookoff is so cool. So many cultures. The parade is gonna get better year after year. Manitou is the place to be on this day."
Another aspect of the carnivale is the free art gallery at Commonwheel. It celebrates the 30 years of the carnivale in Manitou with original artwork, posters, masks, and multimedia art.
"It's all about community," Lyn said. "Bringing people together, families, having a good time and sharing good food, good conversation, a parade, throwing some beads."
There will be afterparty activities such as karaoke from 2-9 p.m. at the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, a drag show and hors d'oeuvres at the Manitou Art Center at 4, and live music from 2 p.m. to midnight at Armadillo Ranch Restaurant.
Parking on-site is limited. Everyone is asked to park in either the Hiawatha Gardens Parking Lot located at 10 Old Man's Trail or at Manitou Springs High School and Middle School located at 415 El Monte Place for $10, with a free shuttle service running from 10 a.m. -4 p.m.
