48th Annual CCPA Meeting
March 26 -29, 2026 | Jefferson County Fairgrounds
Golden, CO
Please join us for th 48th annual CCPA conference at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden, ERO Resources will be your host! The fairgrounds are located right along the base of the foothills, south of Golden and west of Lakewood, with easy access to both. We will also be hosting a variety of activities in downtown Golden!
Conference Contacts
General Inquiries: ccpa2026@eroresources.com
Venue/Registration/Paper and Poster Submissions: Marie Matsuda (mmatsuda@eroresources.com)
Sponsorship: Alexus Singletary-Kelley (akelley@eroresources.com)
Silent Auction/Volunteers: Michelle Dinkel (mdinkel@eroresources.com)
Banquet: Tiana Duncan (tduncan@eroresources.com)
Hotels/Tours: Kate Mayo (kmayo@eroresources.com)
Public Event: Community Connections info@communityconnections.llc
Updated: 3/26 12:35 pm
Our Sponsors
Thanks to our sponsors for this year's conference!
Use the form below or go to Zeffy to register:
Room blocks have been secured at three hotels in and around Golden for three nights—check in Thursday, March 26 and check-out Sunday, March 29—at the Hampton Inn, Table Mountain Inn, and the Courtyard by Marriott. Please let them know you are with the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists 2026 Conference when registering.
Hampton Inn Denver-West/Golden
Located 1 mile west of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. CCPA has a block of 15 rooms reserved at a discounted rate of $99/night + tax. Must book all three nights to receive discount. Book before Sunday, March 1 to receive the CCPA rate. Amenities: free Wi-Fi, parking, and breakfast. 17150 W Colfax Ave, Golden, CO 80401 (303) 278-6600 Direct booking link for the conference: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=DENGDHX&groupCode=CHH90H&arrivaldate=2026-03-26&departuredate=2026-03-29&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT You can also call the hotel directly to book rooms by asking for the "CCPA Annual Meeting Room Block.”
Courtyard by Marriott Denver Golden/Red Rocks
The conference at Jefferson County Fairgrounds is conveniently located off I-70 at State Highway 6 and Indiana Street, and many additional lodging options are available in the nearby downtown Golden and Lakewood area. However, downtown Denver is only 20 minutes away and has endless options for hotels and vacation rentals. There is no obligation to stay at any of the conference hotels.
Across the street from Jefferson County Fairgrounds. CCPA has a block of 15 rooms reserved at a discounted rate of $114/night + tax. Must book all three nights to receive discount. Book before Wednesday, February 25 to receive the CCPA rate. Amenities: free Wi-Fi, parking, and breakfast. 14700 West 6th Avenue Frontage Road Golden, CO 80401 (303) 271-0776 Direct booking link for the conference: Book your group rate for Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists-CCPA Group code: CCPA
Table Mountain Inn
Located in the heart of downtown Golden, about a 13-minute drive from the Jefferson County Fairgrounds CCPA has a block of 10 rooms reserved at a discounted rate of $175/night + tax. Must book all three nights to receive discount. Book before Tuesday, February 24 to receive the CCPA rate. Amenities: free Wi-Fi, parking, and breakfast. 1310 Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80401 (502) 864–8221 Direct booking link for the conference: https://be.synxis.com/?Hotel=95360&Chain=25795&arrive=2026-03-26&depart=2026-03-29&adult=1&child=0&group=CCPA2026
Welcome!
Welcome to the 48th Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists Annual Meeting in Golden, Colorado! Most of the conference activities will be held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Exhibit Halls (Figure 1). Other events and activities including the Early Bird Welcome Reception, a public event hosted by Community Connections, and tours will be held in and around the city of Golden. Details of each event are provided in the sections below. Konjo Ethiopian Food and Farm to Truck Colorado food trucks will be available on Saturday, March 28, during the lunch break at the fairgrounds from 12:00 to 1:30 pm.
Accessibility Accommodations
The Early Bird Welcome Reception and Conference location is ADA accessible. Tour accessibility varies, and details are provided below. Seating during the conference is first-come first-serve, however, seat reservations can be made upon request. CCPA is committed to making the conference accessible to everyone, if any additional accessibility accommodations are needed or if you would like specific details about an event spaces’ accessibility, please reach out to Marie Matsuda (mmatsuda@eroresources.com).
Figure 1. Orange circle indicates the location of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall.Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zj6DQCtRfmvXGjJ2A
Early Bird Welcome Reception – Rock Rest Lodge
Please join us Thursday evening, March 26, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, for the Early Bird Welcome Reception at the historical Rock Rest Lodge. Appetizers and drinks tickets will be provided for early registers. Drinks and food are available for purchase on-site. Conference registration and merchandise sales will be available on site. Uber discounts are available (see details on the Transportation tab), please drink responsibly!
Friday Evening Dinner and Cocktail Social – Jefferson County Fairgrounds
A buffet-style dinner and cocktail social provided by Tocabe and Denver Distillery will be held Friday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Dietary restrictions will be accommodated and can be indicated during online registration. Dinner tickets must be purchased in advance during online registration by March 6. For those who do not wish to join the dinner may attend the cocktail social from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Drinks will be available for purchase.
Dinner will be served buffet style beginning at 6:00 pm. This will be followed by general announcements and selected awards presentations at 7:00 pm. Following the presentations, a social hour will be open to all conference attendees. One drink ticket will be provided with your banquet ticket purchase. A cash bar will be open until 9:00 pm.
2026 CCPA Book Sale and Silent Auction Scholarship Fundraisers
The Ward Weakly Scholarship committee is organizing a book sale that is open to all conference attendees. The book sale will be open from Friday, March 27 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday, March 28 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. There will be books covering various disciplines including archaeology, geology, soil sciences, and more. Additionally, there will be 10 to 20 high valued select items for sale.
We will also be holding a small silent auction that will run from Friday, March 27 from 11:30 am and close Saturday, March 28 at 3:00 pm. You will have time to browse the silent auction during the cocktail social hour. Please consider donating an item. Popular items include art, jewelry, handcrafted works, and destinations. Contact Michelle Dinkel at mdinkel@eroresources.com about your donations.
The proceeds from both the book sale and the silent auction will go to support the CCPA’s Native American and Ward F. Weakly scholarships. The CCPA has a strong history of supporting students with these scholarships, and many CCPA members have benefited. Please consider donating to these events.
Cash, check, or credit cards will be accepted. Thank you for supporting CCPA scholarships!
Public Event Hosted by Community Connections
This year Community Connections is planning a public archaeology event with the purpose of giving back to the City of Golden as the 48th Annual CCPA conference host location. The event will be in Downtown Golden (details forthcoming) on Sunday, March 29th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The afternoon will include a featured speaker and interactive stations that attendees may explore at their own pace. CCPA member and students are encouraged to attend.
Additional information will be shared via the CCPA ListServ and at www.communityconnections.biz.
Questions may be directed to info@communityconnections.llc.
CALL FOR PAPERS, POSTERS, AND SESSION
The CCPA conference organizers are issuing a call for sessions, papers, and posters for the annual meeting.
Propose a paper: We are accepting abstracts on all topics of interest and value to Colorado archaeologists. Topics of general interest will be presented on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Presentations will be either 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the number of entries. Time limits will be strictly enforced.
Propose a poster. All attendees are welcome to develop a poster to share at the conference. Posters should not exceed 60 inches wide and 48 inches tall. Posters will be displayed on easels. CCPA will provide easels. Posters will be displayed from Friday and Saturday.
Abstract Submission: The deadline for submission is Friday, March 13 at 5:00 pm. Please submit your abstract using the forms link or the QR code. Abstracts are limited to 150 words and include the presentation’s title and all authors and author affiliations for inclusion in the CCPA program. As always, there are a limited number of available paper presentation and poster slots—entry will be granted on a first come, first served basis.
48th CCPA Annual Meeting, Golden, Colorado - Abstract Submission Form – Fill out form
Please direct any questions on paper or poster presentations or on abstract submission to mmatsuda@eroresources.com.
Student Competitions
The CCPA is excited to host its annual graduate and undergraduate student research presentation and poster competitions. Graduate and undergraduate students will compete separately in two categories: research paper presentations and posters. A panel of judges will evaluate the entries and present awards in each category. The competition will provide students an excellent opportunity to present research in a supportive environment, to meet and get feedback from professional archaeologists from across the state and beyond, and to meet and engage with students from other academic institutions.
Research presentations will be judged throughout the conference and awards will be presented before lunch on Saturday.
For more information, please contact Marie Matsuda at mmatsuda@eroresources.com.
Awards
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Graduate research paper presentation: $200
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Graduate poster: $150
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Undergraduate research paper presentation: $150
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Undergraduate poster: $100
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Runner-up in each category: $50
Qualifications
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Competitors must be students who are enrolled as full- or part-time graduate or undergraduate students or recently graduated (December 2025).
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Abstract submissions should note the student’s intent to participate in the competition.
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The student must have registered for the conference and is strongly urged to be a CCPA member.
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Paper must not be co-authored (per the CCPA Handbook and guidelines for the paper competition).
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Posters may be co-authored with other students. However, no faculty or professionals may co-author.
Competition Details
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Abstracts for all entries must be submitted to the link below by Friday, March 13 at 5:00 pm. Abstracts should summarize the content, and include the title, all authors, and author affiliations.
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48th CCPA Annual Meeting, Golden, Colorado - Abstract Submission Form – Fill out form
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Please check the box indicating that “I would like to enter the student competition.”
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Paper and poster entries must be submitted to mmatsuda@eroresources.com by Monday, March 23 at 5:00 pm.
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Presentation: PowerPoint slides
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Poster: PDF or PowerPoint slide of final poster.
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Posters may be co-authored, with the entry category set by the lead author. Any award for a multi-authored entry will be split among the authors.
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Entries can be on any topic of archaeological interest and do not need to be specifically about Colorado archaeology.
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Presentations should be planned for 15 minutes in length.
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The content of the entries must adhere to CCPA’s Code of Ethics.
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Students may present research that has been submitted for publication, has been published, or a written for an academic course during the past year. The entry needs to have been written when the author was a student.
The entry cannot have previously been entered into a CCPA student competition.
Final Schedule and Program
Be a Sponsor of the 48th Annual CCPA Meeting!
Sponsorships help keep conference costs affordable for individuals and provide great networking and marketing tools for organizations. Additionally, the CCPA wants to increase student engagement. To increase student attendance and participation, a portion of the sponsorship funds will support student awards.
Sponsors and advertisers must provide logos in high resolution PNG or JPEG files (300 ppi or greater at print size) and at screen resolution (72 ppi) for the website. Please email the materials to Alexus Singletary-Kelly (akelley@eroresources.com).
Mount Blue Sky ($1500)
Your support includes an optional vendor table at the conference, three conference registrations, select CCPA merchandise, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.
Lookout Mountain ($1000)
Your support includes three conference registrations, select CCPA merchandise, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.
Table Mountain ($750)
Your support includes two conference registrations, select CCPA merchandise, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.
Magic Mountain ($500)
Your support includes one conference registration, select CCPA merchandise, and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.
Clear Creek ($250)
Your support includes select CCPA merchandise and your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.
Camp George West ($150)
Your support includes your name/logo on CCPA social media and conference material.
Tour Sponsor ($200)
The Tour Sponsorship provides direct support for the conference’s hosted field trip, site visit, or experiential outing, offering attendees a unique opportunity to engage with the local landscape, projects, or resources that define the region. This sponsorship helps offset transportation, logistics, and coordination costs while enhancing the overall conference experience.
As a Tour Sponsor, your organization will be recognized as a key supporter of this hands-on learning opportunity. Sponsorship recognition may include acknowledgment in conference materials, on-site signage during the trip, and verbal recognition at the event. This is an excellent opportunity to align your organization with experiential learning, professional development, and meaningful engagement beyond the conference venue.
Marketing & Advertisements ($350)
If you would like to advertise your company or services in the conference material, please select this option on the conference registration page. If you would like marketing materials to be printed and distributed in conference packets, please email the materials to Alexus Singletary-Kelly (akelley@eroresources.com). Sponsors and advertisers must provide logos in high resolution (300 ppi or greater at print size) and at screen resolution (72 ppi) for the website.
Please note that CCPA is a registered 501(c)(6) organization. Donations and sponsorships to CCPA are not tax deductible. However, dues and sponsorships may be considered business expenses. Please consult a tax professional on your specific situation.
Pay for your sponsorship/advertisement by clicking on the link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-ccpa-conference-golden
For more information about sponsorship, contact Alexus Singletary-Kelly at akelley@eroresources.com
Sponsorships and logos must be received by March 6 at 5:00 pm.
Thank you for supporting the CCPA!
The conference venue is at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds located at 15200 W 6th Ave, Golden, CO 80401.Conveniently located along off I-70 at State Highway 6 and Indiana Street, the Jefferson County Fairgrounds is about 10 minutes driving distance from Downtown Golden and 20 minutes from Downtown Denver. The fairgrounds is 1.2 miles from the Red Rock Community Light Rail Station (W-line). Bus route 17 is a direct ride from downtown Golden to Rock Rest Lodge and also has a stop one mile from the fairgrounds.
Uber
CCPA is partnering with Uber to offer $5 discounts for any conference attendee to utilize from March 26 through March 28. As we get closer to the event, a link will be provided to all registrants.
The following field trips are being offered through the conference. You may sign up for them in the Register tab.
For more information on all the tours, contact Kate Mayo (kmayo@eroresources.com).
Camp George West – Thursday, March 26, 2–4:30PM
Join us for a guided walking tour of Camp George West Historic District to explore Colorado’s only permanent Army National Guard training facility—established in 1903! This tour offers a rare opportunity to visit infrastructure within the grounds of the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR).
The tour will be led by Leslie Moore, ERO Resources Corporation’s Architectural Historian in partnership with Katy Schneider, Researcher with NLR and CCPA Treasurer, from 2:00 to 4:30 pm on Thursday, March 26.
NOTE: a valid ID (passport/Green Card for non-citizens) will need to be submitted at least 1-week prior to the tour to pre-register with NLR. The tour is free of charge, however, the is limited to the first 20 people. Transportation is not provided. If you secure a spot with this tour, meet at the Camp George West baseball field parking lot at 2:00 pm.
See for more information on Camp George West here.
Industrial School for Boys – Thursday, March 26, 3–4:30 PM
Please join Cyndal Groskopf for a guided tour of the location of the Industrial School for Boys from 3:00 to 4:30 pm on Thursday, March 26. Established in 1881, the military-style school aimed to “re-educate” boys convicted of crimes. After conducting ground-penetrating radar on the premises, Cyndal identified unmapped buildings and used the results to assess the built-environment relationships with this late-19th and early 20th century state institution.
The site is along the perimeter of the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center, and only a 5-minute drive from the Early Bird Reception at Rock Rest Lodge. Please add a ticket for this tour when you register online. Tours will be $10 per person and will be limited to the first 10 people.
Transportation is not provided. If you secure a spot with this tour, please meet at this parking lot outside the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center at 3:00 pm.
Buffalo Bill Museum – Sunday, March 29, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Join us for a visit to the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave on Lookout Mountain overlooking Golden–including a special behind-the-scenes tour of the museum! Learn about William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his Wild West shows performing from the late 1870s to the 1910s throughout the US.
This is an ADA accessible tour. Please add a ticket for this tour when you register online so we can plan accordingly. Tours will be $10 per person. The tour includes a self-guided experience through the main exhibits and a behind-the-scenes look led by Jacqui Ainlay-Conley, museum director. The tour is limited to the first 40 people who sign up.
Transportation is not provided. If you secure a spot with this tour, please meet at the museum at 9:30 am.
Ken-Caryl South Valley Archaeological District Walking Tour
Sunday, March 29, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Discover Ken-Caryl’s South Valley where thousands of years of human history—spanning the Late Paleo-Indian to Early Ceramic periods—come together in one extraordinary archaeological landscape. Swallow Site Oversight Committee's Jeannie Mobley-Tanaka and Jefferson County Parks & Open Space Archaeologist, Talle Hogrefe, will lead a 3-hour tour (9:30 am to 12:30 pm) of the District taking visitors off trail to multiple sheltered camps. CAS has conducted 50 years of research in the District, including the excavation of several sites, repatriation, and ongoing research.
To join, please add a ticket for this tour when you register online so we can plan accordingly. Tours will be $10 per person. The tour is limited to the first 30 people who sign up. Bring field attire, including long sleeves, long pants, boots, and a small pack.
ERO Resources is sponsoring this tour and will provide transportation from the Lakewood/Denver West ERO Office leaving at 9:00 am and returning at 1:00 pm. If you plan to meet there on your own, please arrive at the Swallow Trail Parking Lot before 9:30 am.
Non-CCPA Field Trips
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The Golden History Museum located at 923 10th Street in downtown Golden offers self-guided tours 10:00 am to 4:30 pm Thursday through Saturday. The museum is closed on Sunday.
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Similarly, Jefferson County Parks and Open Space will also be holding tours at the Hiwan Heritage Park on Sunday Noon to 4:30pm. The park and museum are located at 28473 Meadow Drive in Evergreen, CO. Full ADA accessibility is not available. The property was developed by one of Colorado’s first female doctors, circa 1983, and remains an architectural interest open to the public.