COLORADO EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES – JULY 2008

July 2,3,4 Brush! Rodeo. Pancake breakfast & BBQ- free on 7/2; rodeo shows 7:30 pm all days; on- going quilt show at the library, fireworks on the 4^th; 970-842-2666

July 4 Besides fireworks, this date is the peak for wildflowers in prime condition in many alpine

areas in Colorado. Try the many fields in the Lizard Head Wilderness, or Yankee Boy

Basin, reached by a 4WD road just outside (south) of Ouray. Also the Blue Lakes trail in the Mt. Sneffels Wilderness (SW Colorado). These are just a few examples.

Greeley Stampede. A long standing (86^th annual) community festival with a pro and kids rodeo, big name rock & country music concerts, and a 4^th of July parade. At Island Grove Park, 600 N. 14^th Ave., 970-356-7787; (Jun 25-July 6); www.greeleystampede.org

Among the top 10 in the country in purse size; pro finals are July 4; pro rodeo $9 - $22; kids rodeo 3 – 19 years old; also demolition derby ($11 - $21); tickets also at all King Sprs.

Estes Park “Coolest Car Show” – see a collection of vintage cars from the 1920’s and newer; look for the display in downtown, 970-577-9900, www.estesparkcvb.com

July 4,5,6 Cherry Creek Arts Festival. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; 2^nd & 3^rd Ave. between Clayton and Steele

Streets; one of the premier arts festivals in the country; over 200 artists exhibit from many

states and foreign countries; www.cherryarts.org

Mopar Magic Weekend (Car Show) – Grand Junction. The biggest Chrysler Corp. display

of classic cars in the year in Colorado; Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, AMC, DeSoto; Fri aft. – car

parade; Sat – car show & swap meet 10-2, 6-9 charity auction during dinner; based at

DoubleTree Hotel, 970-241-8888 (hotel may be full by now); www.moparclubco.com

July 5 Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14^th Ave. Parkway – free, first Sat. for Colo. residents

720-865-5000 or www.denverartmuseum.org

Clydesdale Horse Show and beer tours – Anheuser Busch Brewery, Ft. Collins. Always

the first Sat. Horses and stagecoach are exhibited for photos at 1 p.m.

July 7-13 Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. Photo classes, workshops, hikes, horseback rides; 800-

455-1790; www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com

July 11-13 Italy’s Circus Zoppe at Winter Park. Film how the Italians put on a circus; part of the La

Vita e Bella Italian Festival feting everything Italian – entertainment, arts, food & wine.

970-726-40018, or www.playwinterpark.com

July 12-13 28^th Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo & 34^th Annual Art in the Park. – Steamboat Springs.

The balloons ascend down the Yampa Valley while the art exhibit is in town outdoors.

Not hard to find. There may also be a “balloon shine” in which the balloons rise about 20

feet and are tethered at night if the weather is mild. www.stetamboatsummer.com

July 19,20 Downtown Boulder Art Fair. On the Pearl Street Mall 10am – 8 pm, arts (w/photography)

and crafts, musicians; 303-449-3774

July 26-27 8^th Annual Dragon Boat Festival. This 2 day, free festival at Sloan Lake in Denver

highlights the 2,000 year old sport of dragon boat racing, and a variety of performing

artists, and foods from the Pacific and Asia. This year’s race is a Regional Race, drawing natl. and intl. teams to this 500 meter course. There are corporate & community teams; free clinics & practice sessions are avl. for spectators, Asian arts & crafts show, performing arts stage. All in all, a rare local opportunity to experience pan-Asian culture.

July 26-28 Copper Courage Classic. Capture groaning endurance riders reaching the top of Vail Pass

and 2 other passes on this 157 mile charity ride benefiting Children’s Hospital (Denver);

720-777-7499, or www.couragetours.com. Sat – Leadville-Tennesee Pass-Vail-Copper Mtn; Sun – Copper Mtn-Frisco-Keystone-Breckenridge-Copper Mtn; Mon – Copper Mtn-Fremont Pass-Leadville (finish). Note that the large numbers of riders (up to 2,000) may impede your personal tour plans these days – leave early.

July 28-Aug 3 U.S. Senior Open (golf). Hosted at the Broadmoor Golf & Country Club, Colorado

Springs. Confirmed is Greg Norman, expect chances to film many other famous seniors;

Mon-Wed practice rounds ($20), championship rounds Thur-Fr(i $40), Sat-Sun ($45); free

parking & free shuttles, tickets at 877-281-OPEN, or King Sprs;www.usso.broadmoor.com

Ongoing

May 3- Jul 6 “Life as a Legend – Marilyn Monroe” – Colorado Springs Fine Art Center, 30 W. Dale St.

10 a.m. –5 p.m.; $7.50; www.csfineartscenter.com Captures the beauty of an American

icon; she has been described as the sexiest woman of the 20^th Century.

Jun 14–Aug 3 Colorado Renaissance Festival – Larkspur. Enjoy a day of medieval merriment –

townsfolk, knights, craftsmen, wenches (comedy), and other assorted characters of the era;

medieval music, comedy acts, live combat joust reenactments, food; weekends only,

discount tickets at King Soopers ($15.95); 10am-6:30pm; exit 173 south on I-25 from

Denver;(303) 688-6010, or www.coloradorenaissance.com

Jun 25- July 6 Greeley Stampede. A long standing tradition for Northern Colorado (see July 4 listing).

May – Sept Cussler Museum. Antique Classic Cars, Arvada, CO. Open Mon, Tues 10 – 7, $7 adults,

$5 seniors. 14959 W. 69thAve., 303-420-2795. These are owned by the famous novelist.

July This period is still likely to see spectacular waterfalls, due to the high runoff this year.

Good examples - Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mtn. Natl. Park, and Rifle Falls at Rifle Falls State

Park west of Glenwood Springs.

All Summer Tubing on the Yampa River thru Steamboat Springs. There are numerous put-in spots to

start your tubing ride all the way thru town; fairly safe for most all ages; the water is

shallow & about a Class I; rent a tube at Backdoor Sports in downtown and bring along a waterproof camera to capture other tubers, or stand on the bridges and shoot from above with a wide range zoom lens; 970-879-6249.

All Year NCAR (Natl. Center for Atmospheric Research, 1850 Table Mesa Dr, Boulder. Free

admission weekends & holidays 9-4, Mon-Fri 8-5, 303-497-1174. Hour long daily noon

tours (no reserv.) 3 floors of interactive science exhibits, 2 art galleries, science store,

cafeteria, hiking trails.