Once in a lifetime celebration starting

By Don Ireland

Gilpin, rest of Colorado will
party like it’s…well, 2026

Senior Reporter

Need a good reason to attend a party in 2026?
Well, Gary Jackson has dozens of reasons for
Gilpin County and those who live in Colorado’s
other 63 counties this year.

Jackson was appointed to the America
250-Colorado 150 Commission in 2022 by Gov.
Jared Polis. The commission oversees plan-
ning a variety of celebrations for the national
­
2026. (See the related sidebar for explanations
of each anniversary.)

“The importance of this event is that we want
to focus on local people and local community
participation,” emphasized Jackson.