Fort Lupton celebrated its annual Tomato Festival and Trappers Day parade Sept. 8 with pancakes, a golf tournament and plenty of music an activities.

Fort Lupton’s annual celebration has been going on since 1908, timed to match the annual harvest of tomatoes and folks re-enacting the Wild West trappers at the historic Fort Lupton trading post. Ddressed like pioneers wearing furs, carrying rifle-muskets, and selling merchandise. 

The event started on Sept. 8, with a golf tournament at Coyote Golf Course, benefitting the Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank and Chamber of Commerce. 

Festivities continued the next morning with a pancake breakfast at Fort Lupton Fire Station One and proceeded with the parade—a staged setup with local dancers, the Colorado Youth Mariachi 

On Denver Avenue, many merchants threw up tents selling various items and art and  a beer garden with various food trucks. Wholly Stromboli hosted a pizza competition for all ages, making pizza with judges and awards. In addition, the Optimist Club had a fundraiser duck race at Coyote Creek golf course, and the museum opened its doors with activities for the kids. 

Fort Lupton’s School and Public Library hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 1, but hosted a special second ribbon cutting for the community during the Trapper Days festival, serving cake and promoting a live wrestling match in a ring set up outside Sept. 9.