Annual Events & Festivals - Festivals And Annual Events
Special events make an evening or weekend sparkle, and Boulder has so many that it’s hard to choose. The following listings are in approximate chronological order. Where possible, they include dates, times, and prices. Other events bloom with serendipity, so planners can’t say exactly when and how much until the event draws near. You can find even more possibilities by checking our Attractions and The Arts chapters. Keep in mind, volunteers run many of these festivals, and you’re welcome to lend a hand.
1. Polar Bear Club Ice Plunge
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 441-3461
Description: Pay around $15 to brave ice-crusted water, dance a jig, screech, then hurry to shore (or stay in as long as you wish). Rescue workers stand by in case anyone gets hypothermia from the morning dip. Plungers say, “It’s intensely painful, in a pleasurable sort of way.” For spectators, admission to this New Year’s Day event is free
2. Colorado Mahlerfest
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 530-2646
Description: Gustav Mahler fans and other classical music lovers rave about this one-of-a-kind concertfest, now in its 21st year. In 1988, Conductor Bob Olson gathered a volunteer orchestra to play Mahler’s 1st Symphony. Each year another of Mahler’s ten symphonies was performed, then a second cycle began, starting at the beginning. Traditionally in January, MahlerFest XXII will be held in May in 2009, with an all-day free symposium of lectures, and free song recitals at the Boulder Public Library and the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts in Lafayette. Concert ticket prices range from $10 to $40.
3. National Western Stock Show, Rodeo, And Horse Show
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 297-1166, ext. 810
Description: Denver proudly calls itself a “cow town” and proves it during the month of January, when the Stock Show comes to town. Since 1906 serious competition combined with showmanship have made this one of the largest stock shows in the world. More than 600,000 people attend. At one recent stock show, there were nearly 40 performances, including 23 rodeos by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, two Mexican rodeos, two bull-riding events, seven horse shows, three Wild West shows, and two evenings of dancing horses. Other events include sheep shearing, mutton busting, barn tours, and a children’s petting farm. Visit their Web site for ticket prices for specific events
4. Chocolate Lover’S Fling
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 449-8623
Description: Eat all the chocolate you want and benefit a good cause on the Friday or Saturday evening closest to Valentine’s Day at the Chocolate Lover’s Fling. Admission (tickets are in the $125 per person or $250 per couple range) includes a popular silent auction. Feast your eyes on chocolate TV dinners, armadillos, cabbages, and castles. Boulder’s best professional chefs vie with talented amateurs in categories ranging from “Sheer Artistry” to just plain yummy. Enter your creation, or just eat the entries. Profits go to the Boulder County Safehouse, which helps battered families.
5. Boulder International Film Festival
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (720) 273-8169
Description: Typically held on Presidents’ Day weekend, this world-class festival brings together storytellers, actors, and audiences from all over the world. The goal of the festival is to encourage young filmmakers to turn their visions into film reality.
6. Boulder Bach Festival
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 652-9101
Description: Only a handful of American festivals play nothing but J. S. Bach. This is one. Local professional musicians and well-known guest artists keep the music lively, playing those hummable tunes you might have thought were modern. Founded in 1981, the festival will be held in March in 2009. Additional concerts take place on an irregular schedule from September through May at locations that include the University of Colorado’s Grusin Music Hall, University Lutheran Chapel, the Boulder Public Library Auditorium, and Denver’s St. John’s Cathedral. Ticket prices vary.
7. St. Patrick’S Day Parade
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 449-1922
Description: As “the world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” this is one of Boulder’s wackiest events and a true Boulder tradition. After the parade, follow the revelers to local pubs for St. Patrick’s Day cheer.
8. Conference On World Affairs
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 492-2525
Description: International flags festoon the campus during this weeklong series of forums held the week after CU-Boulder’s spring semester resumes following spring break. Over 100 speakers from all over the world jet to Boulder at their own expense to participate in this popular conference. Past participants have included the likes of R. Buckminster Fuller, George McGovern, Annie Leibovitz, and Ted Turner, just to name a few. Call ahead for session topics, or just wander into the University Memorial Center to pick up a schedule and slip into one of the many discussions. All events are free and open to the public.
9. Boulder County Farmers’ Market
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 910-2236
Description: Local farmers offer their fresh fruit, flowers, herbs, veggies, gourmet cheeses, wines, and more at the Farmer’s Market that starts in April and runs into November. The market bustles with activity and is a fun place to meet up with friends for coffee and pastries while shopping for all sorts of goodies. Parking is free in adjacent city parking lots. The market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 5 to November 1, with the addition of Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. May 7 through October 1.
10. Puttin’ On The Leash
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 442-4030
Description: The annual adoptable animal fashion show and auction fund-raiser for the Boulder Valley Humane Society is held in late April. Auction items have included ski packages, vacations in Mexico, and trips to swim with the dolphins off the coast of the Bahamas. It is held at the Coors Events Center on the CU campus. Tickets are around $50 per person but check the Web site in the spring for exact dates and ticket prices.
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
13. Boulder Jewish Festival
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Description: This one-day, family-oriented event celebrates the Jewish culture with local artist exhibits, food, live entertainment, dance, and representatives from various Jewish organizations in Boulder County.
14. Boulder Outdoor Cinema
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 444-1351
Address: 1750 13th Street
Description: Bring a chair and your own popcorn and enjoy an informal cinema experience in the museum’s parking lot. This outdoor walk-in theater screens “B” movies, cult classics, cartoons, and funny short subjects Saturday nights June through August. Prizes are awarded for best costume as it relates to the movie. The film, which starts at dusk, is projected onto an outside wall of the museum. The movies are free but there is a suggested donation of $5.
15. The Colorado Shakespeare Festival
City: Boulder, CO
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (303) 492-0554
Description: This festival, started in 1958, has presented all the Shakespeare plays. It is now the fifth-largest Shakespeare company in the United States, according to the Shakespeare Theatre Association. The lushly costumed, lavishly acted plays are produced from mid-June through mid-August. A recent season featured three plays, The Tempest, As You Like It, and The Merchant of Venice. Because the Rippon’s amphitheater-style benches are made of stone, the wise theatergoer brings or rents a soft cushion or a stadium chair. After the sun goes down, the evening can turn cool, so toting a sweater, jacket, and even rain gear is smart, too. Single tickets range from $14 to $54 with discounts for seniors, students, and CU faculty and staff.