Preparations for Carnival on Tejon

Thousands are expected to pack downtown Colorado Springs on Friday for the Carnival on Tejon. It’s a celebration for the opening ceremony for the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio.

Crews stayed busy Friday morning turning downtown Colorado Springs into Olympic City U.S.A.

“This is for the grand opening celebration of the Rio Olympics. This whole section through here will be a bunch of entertainment,” said Curtis Day, general manager of Wright Group Event Services.

Entertainment, music and Olympic athletes will fill the streets for the carnival on Tejon.

“This is five days of prep work. We have a crew of eight guys that are seasoned stage guys that all go through a step by step,” Day said.

Every business on Tejon street has an American flag outside, a sign of just how much support there is in the community for America’s Olympic Athletes.

“I think it’s fantastic. You think more people should get behind the Olympics, it’s such a fun and exciting time for this country. With so many Olympic athletes practicing here, training here, I think it’s a great way to support them,” said Amy Trinidad, Colorado Springs.

Some residents have been counting down the days.

“In third grade, I did a report on the Olympic training center here and I’ve been interested in the Olympics for a long time,” said Coletta Homick-Montiel, Colorado Springs.

The 10-year-old, an aspiring Olympian, is heading to Rio to watch the games.

“I’m an athlete in judo, but I’m going to the Olympics to see what other sports I’m interested in,” Homick-Montiel said.

“I’m looking forward to her figuring out what sport she’s going to be doing for the next eight years and her journey to becoming an Olympian,” said Enrique Montiel, Coletta’s father.

A total of 56 Colorado Springs-based athletes will be preparing to compete in the Olympic or Paralympic games.

The Rio Olympic downtown celebration’s carnival on Tejon is from 5 to 10 p.m. and free and open to the public.

Pikes Peak will be closed from Cascade to Nevada. Tejon will be closed from Kiowa to Colorado.