Things to do / Travel Guide
The eastern Colorado and Wyoming Rockies region is full of rodeos, antique events, and other exciting annual shows.
January
In mid-January there's the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Denver has for years tried to present itself as a modern high-tech city, but it just can't escape its humble Frontier roots. That's to the visitor's advantage as it's a great show, with 20 breeds of all kinds of livestock: cattle, horses, sheep, swine, goats, yaks, bison, llamas, stock dogs, poultry, and even rabbits on display.
February
If you have a fascination with bighorn sheep, then head down to Colorado Springs, where midmonth they celebrate the fact that you can often spot these non-deer within city-limits. The free event starts at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center, but takes you within the city for turns at the binoculars, interesting presentations, and a bighorn sheep “touch table.”
March
In late March, a fun event to attend is the Denver March Pow Wow. Over 700 dancers, drummers, and other musicians participate in this, one of the region's largest Native American gatherings. There's also great Native American food, and storytelling. The Pow Wow takes place over a three-day weekend at the Denver Coliseum.
April
Late in April, a fun event for kids is the Cherry Creek Sneak. In this Denver event, you have to run, skip, hop, and do all manner of getting from A to B on a five-mile course in the Cherry Creek neighborhood.
May
Denver's Cinco de Mayo (which means “Fifth of May” in Spanish) celebration is one of the largest such festivals in the United States. Over 400,000 people converge onto Civic Center Park for the booths selling all kinds of Latino foods and wares.
June
In June, head over to Capitol Hill People's Fair. That's Denver's Capitol Hill. This is a family affair, and it's a celebration of all things Denver. There are culinary specials, arts and crafts, and plenty of entertainment. All this takes place during the first few days of the month.
During the last weekend of June, Fort Collins hosts the annual Colorado Brewfest. Only home-grown Colorado brew served at this festival! Coloradoans have been proud of their local beers for over a century, so there's lots to choose from straight from the keg; 400 kegs, actually!
If you're looking for slightly higher culture, Boulder's Shakespeare Festival takes place from June until late August. One of the nation's best, the festival showcases half-a-dozen of the Bard's most crowd-pleasing. It takes place in Boulder University's outdoor theater.
July
The beginning of July sees the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, in Denver. Over 200 internationally-known artists converge onto the city for the region's most competitive outdoor juried art festival. There's also live music, food, and other forms of celebration that's fun for the whole family.
On the last ten days of July, a popular event to attend in the region is Cheyenne Frontier Days. This is the largest rodeo in the world. Cheyenne's very modest population of 50,000 increases six-fold, and there's simply a stampede of horses! Don't miss the pancake extravaganza, in which 40,000 people (on average) take part, eating pancakes whose batter is mixed in cement trucks. Best of all, the pancakes are free. It's a total carnival atmosphere, a tradition well over 100 years old.
August
In early August, pay a visit to two great art festivals in Loveland: Sculpture in the Park, and Sculpture Invitational. Luckily, they're in the immediate vicinity of each other, and relations between the two are amicable. The sculptures are mostly of the Abstract Modern variety, and their placement in the parks is meant to evoke the friendship between nature and abstract human thought.
September
On the third weekend of September, Florence holds “Junktique Market.” There are 12 antique shops in the town, which means there is one shop for every 300 local citizens. The shops sell antiques, of course, as well as collectibles and other treasures. At Junktique Market, the shops band together and put on a fair for great shopping and good times.
October
In mid-October, head over to the Chatfield Nature Preserve outside of Denver for the Pumpkin Festival. There's pumpkin carving, activities for kids, music, and other attractions that are fun for the whole family. Of course, you can buy pumpkins, probably some of the best and biggest you'll ever see.
November
Get ready for the holiday season with Light Up Larimer, downtown Denver's celebration of festive times. It takes place downtown, a full month before Christmas. There are carolers, a tuba concert, and ice sculpting to warm even the coldest days.
December
During the first two weekends of December, Georgetown hosts a Christmas Market, showcasing crafts, special foods, and other things. Horse-drawn wagons parade down the snow-covered main street, and the sights, smells, and tastes will warm your heart and fill you with holiday spirit.
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