Street closures, parking factor into annual Western Street Breakfast in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- After rain stopped just minutes before the start of the Western Street Breakfast downtown, spectators had two things on their minds.

Street closures and parking.

People new to the annual event may not have realized that some streets were temporarily closed to make room for it; barricades were set up at midnight on Tejon Street between Colorado Avenue and Kiowa Street, as well as on Pikes Peak Avenue between Wahsatch and Cascade Avenues.

Parking -- often a challenge for drivers downtown -- was more available for people who arrived early at the event; they could park at meters along the street or in several nearby parking garages owned by Colorado Springs or El Paso County.

Candy Thompson and her two daughters attended the event for the first time.

"We've only been in Colorado Springs for a year-and-a-half," she explained. "My husband is volunteering at one of the booths. "I'm from metro Seattle and parking is really bad there. But here, using the mobile parking app was very useful. So, we got here early and found a good parking spot."

Organizers planned to reopen the closed streets shortly after 9 a.m., when the Range Riders start their annual trip to local ranches; the group of around 160 will be in the Guffey area of Teller County this year.

The Range Riders promote and preserve Western culture and heritage by camping out, going on daily rides and enjoying heart meals.

Mike McKiernan, a member for ten years, said weather was more of a concern Thursday than street closures or parking.

"Someone was telling me that since the breakfast beganin the 1930s, it has rained only three times," he said. "We're glad that the skies cleared just before the 5:30 a.m. start."

The breakfast has been held on Wednesdays in the past but took place on Thursday this year because of the observance of the Juneteenth holiday.