For those of you staying in beautiful Boulder this summer, be it for summer classes, workĚýor just to hang out, here are some of my favorite things to do in this town during the warm months. Some of these things are new this year, and others I’ve been doing since I was a little kid. I am Sarah Ellsworth: IPHY major, Boulder native, and event connoisseur, and I hope you all have a fantastic summer. See you in the fall!
Bolder Boulder 10K
If you’re running the race, great! If not, be sure to watch this 10K because the pros that run it are incredible, and the amateurs take the dress-up suggestion really seriously. The race, held on the morning of Memorial Day (May 30) snakes through most of Boulder, and if you’re a serious spectator, I suggest getting up early to watch the wheelchair portion of the race because those guys are wicked fast and super fun to watch!
Boulder Creek Festival
One of Boulder’s favorite ways to kick off the summer is the annual Boulder Creek Fest, which runs May 28-30 mainly on the 13thĚýStreet block between Canyon and Arapahoe (next to the creek). This festival is huge, and you’ll be able to enjoy everything from live music and fresh food, to local art, activities for kids and carnival rides. Tons of vendors will be there, and it’s free to attend, so don’t miss out (and ride your bike, there will be nowhere close by to park).
Colorado Shakespeare Festival
If you love Shakespeare, then you must attend the annual Colorado Shakespeare Festival, which runs pretty much all summer (June 3-Aug. 7) at CU-Boulder and brings some of your favorite Shakespearean plays to the University Theater and outdoor Mary Rippon Theater. Tickets are fairly inexpensive and these productions are extremely well reviewed, so be sure to catch at least one.
Thursday Night Cruisers
Nothing says Boulder like a good bike ride, but the Thursday Night Cruiser Ride is a bit atypical. Join hundreds of other super cool Boulderites any and every Thursday night to cruise slow and mellow all over Boulder and wish everyone a “Happy Thursday.” Each Thursday night has a different dress-up theme, and people get really into it. The rides start at Scott Carpenter Park usually around 7:30ish so be on time in your costume and with lights on your bike and keep it cool.
Band on the Bricks
Through all of June and July, you can enjoy free concerts every Wednesday at 6 p.m. on the Pearl Street Mall in front of the Boulder County Courthouse, featuring some fantastic bands and some even better dancers that come out to see those bands. Grab your friends and get your groove on to some rocking tunes under warm nights.
Tube down Boulder Creek
One of Boulder’s greatest (and free) summer pleasures as a college kid is floating down Boulder Creek in an inner tube when it gets way too hot out to do anything else. You can pump up your tube on the corner of Broadway and Arapahoe, and you’ll definitely want to wear shoes while you tube (Why, you ask? Just trust me on this one.)ĚýAlso very important: Do notĚýdrink the water (and don’t tube with an open Red Bull in your hand because the water will get in the can, I promise)! I highly recommend the portion of the creek up by Eben G. Fine Park near the mouth of Boulder Canyon for your tubing needs.
Boulder Outdoor Cinema
Boulder gathers in the parking lot behind the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and the Dushanbe Teahouse (13th Street between Canyon and Arapahoe) for one of summer’s best evening pastimes every Saturday night during the warm months. The Boulder Outdoor Cinema features a live band until dark, when the movie starts on the big projector screen. Classic films are showed for free, and it’s bring your own seating, so don’t forget your blanket/chair/sofa. The 2016 schedule hasn’t been announced yet but keep an eye out for it on the website.
See a concert at Red Rocks
There is no better place, in my opinion, to see a summer show than at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, just about a 45-minute drive from campus. The enormous red rocks that surround the amphitheater on both sides and the beautiful view of the Colorado flats behind the stage make it a truly stunning natural setting. All the best-known artists headline here, so be sure to check out the website for the summer lineup.
Folkdance on the plaza
Every Tuesday night from 7 to 10 p.m. this summer starting June 7, you can learn new dance moves with new friends next to the Dushanbe Teahouse (13thĚýbetween Canyon and Arapahoe). Folk dancing classes will be taught under the stars, and you can bring a dance partner or go alone. All levels of dance ability are welcome, but be ready to dance for three hours straight!
Day trips
The cool thing about Colorado is this is a state made for day trips. Vail, Breckenridge, Denver, Durango, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Rocky Mountain National Park, Garden of the Gods—to name a few—are all within a few hours.
Enjoy the summer!
