COLORADO SPRINGS— Hundreds of people celebrated the Fourth of July at Rock Ledge Ranch in Colorado Springs on Tuesday.
People ate hot dogs, apple pie and drank lemonade while they listened to live music.
While other people played chicken bingo and darts, many kids enjoyed the pony rides.
The historic ranch welcomed people from all over the nation for the festivities. Carlos Garcia's family came all the way from San Antonio, Texas for this specific celebration.
Garcia has been bringing his family to Rock Ledge Ranch on the fourth of July for the past 20 years.
“I've brought my family since they were kids to this ranch. It's been probably 20 years plus, and now I have the opportunity to bring my grandkids. We just enjoy it. I mean, it's just one of the days we, you know in our calendar, that we try to spend time here at the ranch and support it,” Garcia said.
For the Garcia family, the Rock Ledge Ranch has become a tradition. Carlos Garcia said history and farm animals are just a few of their family favorites.
“A lot of the history, right? We're from the country. We're from the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas. A lot of the things they do here, the farming, the horse rides, the wagon rides, and stuff like that, the kids enjoy. It's just a good family place,” Garcia said.
The Garcia family is excited to see the firework display. They said Colorado Springs has always had a good fireworks show. Despite the potential rain, they are not worried about the weather.
“If you want to know weather, come back to Texas, it's 105 degrees right now. So this is beautiful,” Garcia said.
Across town in Banning Lewis, organizers set up their own celebration festivities on Tuesday afternoon.
“Every Fourth of July Banning Lewis Ranch has a huge celebration. We have twenty food trucks, we will have live music from seven to nine assuming this rain will go away,” Campbell said.
Marketing Manager for Banning Lewis, Karole Campbell said despite the wind, clouds, and light rain Tuesday afternoon, the show must go on.
“If it is slightly sprinkling we are on, so really it would be a deluge of rain that would stop us, major lighting obviously would be a problem, any tornado warnings we would put a stop to it and tear down immediately,” Campbell said.
The fireworks would be postponed if there is continuous lighting and heavy rain. There is a pavilion a couple hundred people can shelter under if there is lighting.
The Garcia family is excited about the fireworks and is used to the Colorado weather.
“We were used to Colorado Springs. We've been here plus 20 plus years and it rains on us throughout our vacation and we just tolerate it and have fun with it,” Garcia said.
Like the Garcia family, the Rekedal sisters came to the ranch from out of town. Ellen and Audrey Rekedal are from California and are celebrating this year's Fourth of July with their aunt, uncle, and parents.
“We came here like nine years ago when we were kids, so we thought it would be a great place to come back to and kind of nostalgic and see the history,” Ellen Rekedal said. “It's fun when they get all the festive bunting out for the Four of July, and it's already super patriotic, so fun to come back for that,” Audrey Rekedal said.
The Rekedal sisters' favorite spot was the blacksmith shop.
“We were just enjoying the blacksmith area. He's making a heart hook and we were getting interested in even learning how to do that, that'd be cool. But I also love just touring the houses and seeing all the history,” Audrey Rekedal said.
Ellen Rekedal just visited Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. She said the Fourth of July is an important time to reflect on the country's history.
“I just think it's important to, like, recognize like. That this was all native land at one point, and like we are a nation, I think that was the great experiment and we've been struggling a lot lately, and like I am proud to be an American and I think it's really important just to do everything we can to continue to make this a better place in. Some place that we can be proud to live,” Ellen Rekedal said.
Garcia says this holiday is important to celebrate.
“I think the Fourth of July is really important for our country. This is where it starts, with family. Spend all the time you can with your family and friends, enjoy it, and be safe,” Garcia said.
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