Hundreds of golden retrievers frolic in annual celebration in Colorado, videos show
A furry gold rush descended on Golden, Colorado, on Saturday, Feb. 3, as hundreds of golden retrievers and their humans filled the downtown.
It was a very wiggly, silly, soggy afternoon as the snow came down harder and harder. But photos and videos show the pups didn’t seem to mind a bit.
“The heavy snow didn’t prevent people from showing up,” said an attendee, celebrating the turnout in a post on Reddit.
The crowd was there for the annual “Goldens in Golden,” an event that falls on the Saturday closest to National Golden Retriever Day. This year, it fell on the day itself. And it was a snowy one, the first time it had snowed during the event since its inception in 2019, according to 9 News.
The gathering has happened four times, according to 4 News Now. In its first year, the event broke the record for the most golden retrievers in one location at one time, according to WDIV.
Many in attendance were from Colorado, where golden retrievers are the most popular breed of dog, according to a Jan. 22 report by U.S. News. However, some attendees had traveled hundreds of miles to join the spectacle.
“Loved being among all the furriness and joy!” Lynn Sawyer Neillie, whose Facebook says she lives in Austin, Texas, wrote in a post. “This is going to become our annual trek!”
For many goldens who weren’t from Colorado, it was their first time seeing snow.
In an interview with 9 News, Charlie Alfrey from Florida described his dog, Boss’, excitement amid the flurries.
“If you could see the smile on his face, it’s bigger than ours,” he told the outlet.
For Golden, Colorado, the annual gathering is a festive lift during a slow and chilly time of year.
“Goldens in Golden is a really special event,” Megan Pinson with Visit Golden said in a news release. “There is such deep affection for these sweet dogs it’s a real delight for the dogs and their people, who so enjoy socializing with one another. There are smiles all around and many people agree it’s ‘the happiest day of the year’!”
This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 6:16 PM with the headline "Hundreds of golden retrievers frolic in annual celebration in Colorado, videos show."