This Colorado Mountain Town Once Dubbed Itself Its Own Kingdom

I first heard about the Kingdom of Breckenridge after checking into my room at Hotel Alpenrock in Breckenridge, the former mining town in Colorado that’s become a popular ski destination. I mentioned how unusual it was that a double room was furnished with two king beds, instead of twin or queen beds.

I was told that it was a nod to the town’s history as a “kingdom.”

According to Meredith Ash, the hotel’s general manager, “In a town once known as the ‘kingdom of Breckenridge,’ it just felt right that every guest should have a king bed, which is why Hotel Alpenrock is an all-king bed hotel.” 

A Kingdom Born... in Colorado

What exactly is the Kingdom of Breckenridge? Surely, a town in Colorado wasn’t actually its own kingdom? The story goes back to the 1930s, when the Breckenridge Women’s Club questioned when, and if, Breckenridge had become part of the United States. Breckenridge at the time was not the popular ski town that it is today. It was a gold mining town, and like many other mining towns, it was declining during the Great Depression in the 1930s. 

“The Women’s Club decided that it was time to bring Breckenridge into the United States, so they had a flag raising ceremony at the courthouse,” says Susan Gilmore, Marketing and Outreach Manager at Breckenridge History, “They invited the governor up to come and officially bring us into the Union. They turned it into this massive celebration, for sure.” This celebration was aptly called No Man’s Land and continued on for decades in different forms, but it was always a party.

Culture celebrated - Kingdom Days to Ullr Fest

No Man’s Land celebration eventually took on a new name, Kingdom Days, which continued through 2015. According to Gilmore, Kingdom Days was discontinued because “Ullr Fest had really become a lot more popular, so that kind of became the main one that we went with.”

Ullr Fest’s origins date back to 1961, when Breckenridge had its first season as a ski destination. “They didn’t get the turnout they were hoping for,” says Gilmore, “so they were [trying to figure out] how to create something uniquely Breckenridge that could really draw people to the area. And that is when Ullr Fest came about.” In 1963, the first UllrDag (Ullr Day) was celebrated in Breckenridge. 

Why Ullr? Ullr is the Norse God of snow, and people pray to Ullr for good ski conditions. There’s a Norwegian connection, too. “We had a lot of people with Norwegian ties that came to this ski area to help start it up, and so they brought that Norwegian culture in,” Gilmore explains.

A melting pot of cultures, history, man and myth

A festival for Ullr to grant them good snow didn’t seem quite enough to stand out, though. The question whether Breckenridge was part of the Louisiana Purchase or the Annexation of Texas was somehow resurfaced. It turned out that Breckenridge was indeed admitted to the Union (it was brought in with the Florida Treaty of 1819), but perhaps they didn’t find out until later. At any rate, it was decided then that if Breckenridge was not officially part of the United States, then it must be a sovereign state. Thus, the Kingdom of Breckenridge was born as a tourism campaign.

 “With that first Ullr Fest in ‘63 they went all out with it. They required you to have a visa to come into town,” says Gilmore, “If you didn’t purchase a visa, you had to go to jail in one of the local bars.” Breckenridge even got in trouble with the U.S. Treasury Department because they minted their own coins (the rumor was that a rival ski area had reported Breckenridge to the Treasury Department).

Revelry in the '60s led to today's Ullr Fest

UllrDag continued until 1967 complete with the visa requirements for the Kingdom of Breckenridge. UllrDag finally ended after the 1967 festival. “There were some issues with high school students getting a little too rowdy at one of the Ullr fests,” says Gilmore. Apparently there were over sixty people who were either arrested or cited during the festival weekend. 

The festival went on hiatus and didn’t return until 1978 with the new name of Ullr Fest, minus all the visa requirements. There was more infrastructure and a little less rowdiness, but Ullr Fest continues to be a good time, and always a little wild. There’s always an attempt to break the World’s Longest Ski Shot title, and the weekend festivities end with a large bonfire. The festival has become one of the most popular festivals in Breckenridge, bringing in more than 12,000 visitors over the weekend.

While the new Ullr Fest doesn’t revolve around the “Kingdom of Breckenridge” idea, you’ll find nods to the cheeky “kingdom” campaign around town, and not just at Hotel Alpenrock. There is Kingdom Park where the town’s playgrounds and baseball fields are located. There’s the throne of Ullr sculpture in the historic Arts District. A King and Queen are still crowned each year at Ullr Fest.

Looking ahead: The Kingdom of Breckenridge celebrates big milestones in 2026

In 2026 for the 250/150 celebration, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s entrance into the Union, the town will bring back the Kingdom of Breckenridge sign that used to sit on the highway. It’ll be displayed in the Welcome Center for all to see.