Crowd turns out in Colorado Springs to celebrate elephant’s birthday
MARK REIS
A lady never reveals her age, but it is rumored Page the Elephant turned 31 as she celebrated her birthday at Acacia Park Thursday afternoon.
Page was joined by wizards, princesses and fairies in the park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for her birthday celebration at the downtown Colorado Springs park to promote the Colorado Renaissance Festival.
Children, including a group of about 20 from the Colorado Springs YMCA, sat patiently on the grass and waited for Page to arrive. Just after 11 a.m., she came out of her trailer and the party started.
The elephant wore a party hat on her head and what appeared to be a birthday-themed table cloth on her back. Owners Mike and Bill Swain guided Page around the park and allowed the children to get up close and personal. Some children even fed Page.
While Page was visiting, other characters from the festival interacted with party-goers. The class clown walked on stilts telling jokes. A woodland fairy made her way through the crowds leaving “lucky pixie dust” on a select few. An owl-lady showed off her feathers and wings and welcomed children into her nest to take photos.
The children decorated Page’s birthday cake and the party wrapped up about 1 p.m. as the birthday girl ate her cake.
“It’s important, especially for the kids, to get an up close look at the elephant and see how gentle she really is, and to promote the family friendliness of the festival,” said Jim Moncher, who was dressed as a wizard and has been a part of the festival for 10 years.
The Renaissance Festival, located in Larkspur, is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary. It will run on weekends until Aug. 7.
Many of the characters and acts from the festival were at Page’s party, including king and queen body puppets, harpists and an acrobat group named the Acrobatrix.
“It’s a huge draw for kids,” said Leah Orleans, one of two members of the Acrobatrix. “It gets kids outside, it gets families doing things outdoors in other venues besides their living room, TV or movie theaters. It’s an up close and personal experience with an animal as giant as an elephant that you won’t get at a zoo.”