The city of Manitou Springs is celebrating its 150th birthday this year with events including a pie baking contest, a pollinator party and a community potluck.
There will also be an exhibit at the Manitou Springs Heritage Center highlighting how the mountain town has "evolved from its initial roots as a health resort to a center of tourist attractions."
The town is known for its mineral springs, mountain scenery and quirky attitude. The springs were frequented by the Ute, Arapahoe and Cheyenne, some of whom spent the winter in the area.
Manitou Springs was officially founded in 1872 by General William Jackson Palmer and Dr. William Abraham Bell. Palmer also founded nearby Colorado Springs, which celebrated its 150 birthday last year.
"Manitou Springs has a rich history, and our culture includes Indigenous peoples of the past, present, and future," said Mayor John Graham in a press release. "The environmental sensitivity of the first humans to frequent here is a legacy for all of us…This is a year to celebrate who we are."
The city is also planning a celebration of a unique bit of history: folks who have tried to push a peanut up Pikes Peak with their nose. The Peanut Pusher Event of 2022 will feature "an ambitious gentleman (who) is looking to make history – by pushing a peanut up Pikes Peak with a contraption taped to his nose," according to the city's website.
He won't be the first to try this feat or to, hopefully, complete it. Others have been successful through the years - first in 1929, then again in 1963.
"In celebrating 150 years of city life, we recognize the density and diversity of perspectives and skills in our community. What an incredible chance to ask ourselves how best to tap into those talents to create the next 150 years of Manitou Springs together," said Becca Sickbert, Executive Director of CReative AlliaNce Manitou Springs.
A full schedule of events can be found on the Manitou Springs website.
