Breakfast for the rodeo

 The full moon was falling fast as daylight crawled in from Colorado’s eastern plains. First light comes around 4 a.m. this close to the solstice, and the birds chirped loudly in anticipation. 

For several years, I let work get in the way of the Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast. This year I decided to go no matter what. At 5:25 a.m., downtown Springs is a pretty quiet spot, although the many blocked streets hinted at the morning’s event. The cool air before sunrise felt nice after a week of 90-degree days. 

The breakfast was ready to go as I arrived. Booths line the street leading up to the serving lines. The organizers wisely set up serving stationson all four blocks leading to the stage, so no matter where you entered, you could get right in line. 

There were roping stations where children try out their lassoing skills. A petting zoo with goats and miniature horses stood near the north entrance. One of the horses whinnied, and their owners told me that she missed her friends on the farm. Soon enough the little pen would have loads of attention as people began coursing in. 

Right at 5:30, the food lines opened, and Colorado country-rock band Exit West chimed in. The military volunteers who set up and serve food arrived around midnight, when the city closes down the streets. The band didn’t seem like they stayed up all night but they jumped into a short, rollicking set. 

Inflation has not struck the western street breakfast - Five dollars bought a plate of eggs, sausage, pancakes and plus juice, coffee and milk. It was hot, filling and just what the morning called for. 

Something simple fit the occasion. Around the intersection of Pikes Peak Avenue and Tejon Street, organizes assembled enough hay bales to seat hundreds. The amount of people in cowboy hats was staggering but expected - Farmers and ranchers rise early. The breakfast has ties to the Pikes or Bust Peak Rodeo, held later in summer and a big regional draw. 

Not many cities of this size still keep the rodeo tradition going, but it fits the Springs, as much of eastern El Paso County is heavily rural.

Not everyone out at that hour sought out the breakfast. On an adjacent sidewalk, I noticed a homeless man furiously digging into a city garbage can. I could not clearly see what he hunted, arms deep in the can and his face shaded by his hoodie. I felt a little shame at not offering him an inexpensive breakfast. Before I could act, he disappeared in the crowd. 

I didn’t stay too long, just an hour. Breakfast does fast when you're not breaking it up with conversation. Sitting there by myself reinforced some hard truths about my life here. 

I sat back and watched the activity. People who had known each other for decades hugging and talking. The crowd filled with many elderly people who had come to this breakfast since its early days. One man had a remote-controlled wagon with Pikes Peak or Bust on its canvas cover. I could see a different Colorado Springs, one with traditions. 

Whether or not it becomes my tradition, it’s comforting to see humble events like the western street breakfast endure.