Golden Retrievers are the epitome of canine cuteness. Just getting to meet one Golden Retriever is enough to brighten my day, and I don't think I need to tell pet parents how wonderful these sweet, smart, and beautiful dogs are to have as companions. Now imagine that cuteness multiplied several thousandfold, to the point where it takes over an entire town.That's the happy reality the residents of Golden, Colorado, face every February during their day-long "Goldens in Golden" celebration. The most recent annual "Goldens ...
Golden Retrievers are the epitome of canine cuteness. Just getting to meet one Golden Retriever is enough to brighten my day, and I don't think I need to tell pet parents how wonderful these sweet, smart, and beautiful dogs are to have as companions. Now imagine that cuteness multiplied several thousandfold, to the point where it takes over an entire town.
That's the happy reality the residents of Golden, Colorado, face every February during their day-long "Goldens in Golden" celebration. The most recent annual "Goldens in Golden" event took place on Saturday, February 8, and the town's streets were packed out with pups as far as the eye could see!
Golden may have originally gotten its name due to the Colorado Gold Rush, but several years ago, local dog lovers saw a "golden" opportunity to give new meaning to the city's name. The first-ever "Goldens in Golden" event was held in 2019 in the hopes of attracting visitors over the slow winter months by "inviting Golden Retrievers and their humans to gather under the city’s iconic Welcome to Golden Arch in honor of National Golden Retriever Day" (February 3, which fell on a Sunday in 2019).
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Their inaugural event was a smashing success, and since then the city has invited Golden Retrievers and pet parents from across the country to join them every February, usually on the weekend after National Golden Retriever Day. It may only fall on one day a year (and technically the event itself is only two hours long, though there's dog-friendly pre- and post-parties), but "Goldens in Golden" has become an iconic part of the city's culture. 2025's celebration was no exception, with pups and their parents flooding into the town by the thousands to celebrate as one big canine community!
Golden: An 'Insanely Dog-Friendly' City
This probably doesn't come as a surprise, but Golden, Colorado, isn't just a dog-friendly town one day out of the year. The mountain town, which sits just 15 miles west of downtown Denver, is "insanely dog-friendly," to quote one enthusiastic Golden resident on Reddit. Golden is full of dog-friendly restaurants, breweries, and business, and all around the town you'll find plenty of parks, trails, and campgrounds that warmly welcome four-legged guests (though prospective visitors should check up on local leash laws to make sure they're compliant while hiking with dogs).
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Of course, not every single business in Golden welcomes dogs for one reason or another. Luckily, BringFido has the lowdown on many of Golden's dog-friendly businesses and activities, so you won't have to look very hard to find places to visit and things to do with your pooch. Golden even has lots of dog-friendly hotels where out-of-town guests can get a good night's sleep, whether they walk on two legs or four!
The next Goldens in Golden event is sadly almost a full year away, but that doesn't mean you and your pup can't enjoy the scenic mountain town for all it's worth in the meantime. If you're planning out a dog-friendly vacation to Colorado (or perhaps scoping out a new place to live with your pets), consider paying Golden a visit!
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