Moffat Tunnel lease approved; Gilpin officials continue pressure for train stop in Rollinsville

Lou Bunch Day: a taste of Central’s past

year: good weather and a large

turnout of spectators.

The Main Street Central City

organization is gearing up for its

st annual festival (interrupted

only by the pandemic in 2020),

set to begin at noon on Saturday,

June 14, on Main Street. While

the festival pays homage to the

rowdy, Old West Days of Central

City’s mining era over 150 years

ago, it also mockingly pays trib-

ute to Madam Lou Bunch, who

ran “the city’s most successful

brothel” on Pine Street.

For the locals attending this

year’s event, the most popular

conversation revolves around

whether the Boulter boys from

Dostal Alley will win the herald-

ed bed races for an unprecedent-

ed fourth consecutive year. The

other topic will be whether they

can beat their record-setting

time from last year.

Another looming question is

whether RCI Hospitality Hold-

ings will be ready to unveil its

new Rick’s Cabaret on the same

day at 130 Main Street – the

site where each bed-racing team

begins and ends their attempt to

win first, second, or third place

trophies or receive the “Worst in

Bed” distinction for having the

slowest time.

Coincidentally, Rick’s Cabaret

will field a team for the second

time this year in the bed races,

joining a lineup that includes

groups from local casinos and

organizations. Traditionally,

each bed-racing team consists of

two men wearing red long johns

while pushing a wheeled bed

– featuring a young woman in

her bedtime apparel – along the

course between Rick’s Cabaret

and the junction of Gregory

Street.

Terms like “prostitutes” or

“hookers” are generally not

associated with the festival or

Madam Bunch. Instead, the

more family-friendly term for

the women who worked in Lou

Bunch’s establishment is often

“sporting house girls.” In fact, a

group of women who call them-

selves the “Infamous Backroom

Cabaret,” humorously nick-

named the present-day Sporting

House Girls, are scheduled to

perform several times before the

bed races.

Central City Mayor Jeremy

Fey will give his annual welcom-

ing remarks to launch the annual

event at noon from the stage

area at the junction of Gregory

and Main. He will turn over the

emcee duties to Mike Keeler

for the day. Last year, Fey took

shaving-cream pies in the face

during the bed races to help

generate $10 donations for

local non-profits.

The Jimmy Lewis Trib-

ute Band, featuring local

musician Robbie Wicks,

will provide music in the

afternoon as visitors browse

the various food trucks and

vendor booths set up at the

north end of Main Street.

This will mark the first Lou

Bunch Day in years that

hasn’t included music from

Jimmy Lewis, who passed

earlier this year.

To energize the crowd,

the gunslinging Old West

shootout show will be

presented by the Central

City Wild Bunch, featuring

master of ceremonies Mike

Keeler, a historian from

Central City. (He is also the

face on the billboard along

the Central City Parkway

announcing this year’s

Among the groups re-

turning to this year’s festival are

architectural students from Met-

ropolitan State University and

Professor Dr. Jade Luiz. MSU

students have been excavating

the site of Bunch’s brothel to

unearth artifacts that will be on

display at their booth.

Also, along Main Street, there

will be food from JKQ BBQ, Eu-

reka Street Popcorn, Machetes

Gourmet, and Mc2 Ice Cream.

Vendors will include VP Cre

ative, selling personalized mag-

nets, and a booth sponsored by

the Infamous Backroom Cabaret,

which will sell Lou Bunch Day

items and memorabilia. Jennifer

Black, a former performer at the

Infamous Backroom Cabaret,

will run her booth from her busi-

ness, Jen’s Stories, which offers

various goods, including her

book, “Ghosts of Central City.”

Children’s face painting will

also be available in the after-

noon.

The bed races are scheduled

to begin at 3 p.m., followed by

additional music and entertain-

ment. Around 4:45 p.m., the

bed-race winners and those

named winners of the old-time

costume contest will be an-

nounced.

Starting at 7 p.m., the tradi-

tional Miners and Madams Ball

will take place in the Monte

Lobo building (formerly the Doc

Holliday Casino) on Main Street.

A suggested donation of $10 is

requested for admission. During

the dance, winners will be an-

nounced for several traditional

awards: Madam, Sporting House

Girl, and Dandy Dan. While the

winners don’t receive a cash

prize, event organizers state that

they will earn bragging rights for

being a “renowned pedigree of

Could the Boulter Boys of Dostal Alley 4-peat in the 2025 Lou

Bunch Bed Race?

One never knows what one may

see at Lou Bunch Day!

Moffat Tunnel lease approved; Gilpin officials continue pressure for train stop in Rollinsville

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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