Publisher’s note: Welcome to Culture Club, our new weekly arts, culture and events newsletter. As a BRL Today subscriber, we thought you’d enjoy this curated guide to what’s happening around Boulder. If you’d prefer to receive only BRL Today, you can update your subscription preferences anytime using the “Update Preferences” link at the bottom of this email. — Stacy Feldman
Hi there — I’m McKenzie Watson-Fore, Boulder Reporting Lab’s arts & culture editor.
You may have seen some of my previous reporting on Crowd on Pearl’s activation of vacant retail space, the closure of Lula Faye Fiber or the opening of Boulder’s first romance bookstore.
I’m excited to bring you Culture Club, BRL’s new weekly guide to Boulder-area arts, culture and events. Every Thursday, you’ll find original reporting, Three Great Picks and a curated calendar of the best events across Boulder County. Whether it’s a gallery opening, concert, festival or something unexpected, my goal is simple: help you discover more of what makes Boulder an interesting place to live.
This week, we’re taking you inside Open Studios’ Plein Air Community Event and Exhibition, where 50 Colorado artists spent six days painting across Boulder County.
Culture Club is also a conversation. If there’s a story we should pursue, a creative person we should know about, or an event that deserves attention, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for joining us for the launch.
See you out there,
McKenzie
1. “13 Fires,” a new play by Curtis K. Rogers
Thursday, June 25-Sunday, June 28 • 6 p.m. • Dairy Arts Center
Written by a Boulder playwright, this production explores questions of housing, inclusion, diversity, community and more.
2. LAUGH: Lafayette Art UnderGround Hustle Summer Art Crawl
Saturday, June 27 • 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • multiple sites in Old Town Lafayette
Check out eight different pods of artists scattered around Old Town Lafayette. If you make it to all eight spots, you can enter a drawing for a Teocalli gift card!
3. Hygiene Music and Arts Festival
Saturday, June 27 • 9 a.m. • 7527 Hygiene Rd.
Get your groove on at this all-day music festival with a pancake breakfast, church rummage sale and artist pop-ups.
50 Colorado artists painted Boulder County outdoors. Now their work is on display.
More than 200 paintings are on display and available for purchase at PARK Coworking through July. Continue reading…
Explore our community calendar for dozens more events happening around Boulder. It’s free to browse and free to post. Many of the events featured in Culture Club come directly from the calendar, so be sure to add yours.
Visual Arts & Literature
- Thursday, June 25, 6:30 p.m.: “Dying Matters” book event with author Janet Booth at the Boulder Bookstore [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Saturday, June 27, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Plein Air Painting and Drawing class with Kathleen Lanzoni, hosted by Open Studios [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Sunday, June 28, 9 a.m.: Sunday morning tea ceremony followed by clay water vessel-making workshop at Top Hat Supply for Journeys [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Monday, June 29, 10 a.m.: The Wise Photo Project offers free portraits for seniors in Boulder. [free] [seniors]
- Tuesday, June 30, 3-4:30 p.m.: Teens are invited to unearth their story through a free writing workshop at the Erie Community Library [free] [teens]
Theater & Dance
- Thursday, June 25, 7 p.m.: “Nothing to See Here” comedy storytelling show headlined by Sheila Chester at the Muse Performance Space in Lafayette [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Friday, June 26, 5 p.m.: “The p(art) Project Professional Intensive Performance,” a capstone performance for professional-track dancers who participated in a 17-day immersive intensive at the Dairy Center [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Saturday, June 27, 7-9 p.m.: Boulderfest Juggling and Variety show delights at the Dairy Center, part of the 20th annual juggling festival [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m.: SK8D8 hosts its weekly adult roller-skate night at the Avalon in Boulder. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Music & Nightlife
- Friday, June 26, 8-9:30 p.m.: Stand-up comedy showcase at the Louisville Underground [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Saturday, June 27, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.: 14th annual Leftapalooza at Left Hand Brewing [ticketed] [family-friendly]
- Sunday, June 28, 6 p.m.: Cry Huntress plays at Bricks on Main in Longmont [free] [family-friendly]
- Monday, June 29, 6 p.m.: A free jazz jam session takes the stage at Muse in Lafayette. [free] [all ages]
- Tuesday, June 30, 7:30 p.m.: Blues legend The Robert Cray Band plays the Chautauqua Auditorium. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Food & Drink
- Thursday, June 25, 5-8 p.m.: Ned Farm to Table Summer Social supports the Nederland Farmers Market [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Saturday, June 27, 12-5:30 p.m.: Taste local and bespoke liquors from small-batch distillers at the Colorado Distiller Festival in Golden [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m.: BREAKfest — plates, beermosas, micheladas, yoga, and music at Pattern Break Brewing [free] [all ages]
- Tuesday, June 30, 5:30 p.m.: A James E. Pepper whiskey tasting class pours at William Oliver’s in Lafayette. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Wednesday, July 1, 3 p.m.: Wine Wednesday brings a relaxed midweek pour to Ajax Tavern at Limelight Boulder. [free] [adult-oriented]
Outdoors & Recreation
- Thursday, June 25, 8 p.m.: World Cup Watch Party for the USA v. Turkey game at the Boulder Theater [free]
- Friday, June 26, 7 a.m.: Boulder’s iconic Tube to Work Day features 750 tubers (ticketed) as well as games, coffee and a DJ dance party [free] [family-friendly]
- Saturday, June 27, 9 a.m.: 22nd Annual Boulder Garden Tour [ticketed] [family-friendly]
- Tuesday, June 30, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: The Boulder Cycling Club’s weekly free ride takes off from Twisted Pine Brewing. [free] [adult-oriented]
- Wednesday, July 1, 4-9 p.m.: The weekly Wellness Wednesday clinic offers high-quality care at Yellow Barn Farm. [free] [adult-oriented]
Family & Community
- Friday, June 26, 6 a.m.: Frederick in Flight kicks off its 15th hot air balloon festival in Frederick [free] [family-friendly]
- Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m.: Photon playground explores light, lasers and quantum science at Front Range Community College in Longmont [free] [family-friendly]
- Sunday, June 28, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: TinkerFair fundraiser and market to support the TinkerMill MakerSpace in Longmont [free] [all ages]
- Tuesday, June 30, 10:15-11 a.m.: A free family “Music & Magic” program is happening at the Louisville library. [free] [family-friendly]
- Wednesday, July 1, 4-8 p.m.: A free weekly local vendor market sets up in The Garden at Left Hand Brewing in Longmont. [free] [family-friendly]
Your guide to Boulder’s public art
Want to explore Boulder’s public art collection but don’t know where to start? Join a free guided walking tour on select Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings this summer, or take the city’s virtual public art tour anytime. Guided tours are free, but advance registration is required.
A Lafayette student’s big idea for Pearl Street
Lafayette high school student Rhea Trivedi earned national recognition in the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Challenge for her vision of a community mural and interactive storytelling installation on Pearl Street. Inspired by historic photographs, her proposal celebrates the pedestrian mall’s shared history and sense of community. You can view Rhea Trivedi’s design proposal and winning essay here and here.
Artists wanted for Roots Music Fest
Now in its second year, Roots Music Fest (Aug. 27-30) is seeking musicians, performing artists, visual artists and volunteers. Apply here as a performing artist, here as a visual artist or here to volunteer. If you’re planning to attend, use Boulder Reporting Lab’s partner code, BOULDERREPORTINGLAB2026, when buying tickets. A share of the proceeds supports BRL’s local journalism at no additional cost to you.
Know about an exhibit, concert, festival or creative person we should feature? Reply to this email or submit it here. Culture Club exists to help people discover what’s happening across Boulder County, and we’d love your ideas. Thanks for reading, and if you make it out to something fun this weekend, let us know.
