This week’s Culture Club is sponsored by Rosetta Hall. Discover why there’s always a reason to visit.
Hi there, Boulder — and welcome back to Culture Club! It’s Thursday, July 2, and I’m McKenzie with your weekly guide to what’s happening around Boulder County.
The long holiday weekend is here, and communities across Boulder County are celebrating with parades, pancake breakfasts, concerts, wood-chopping competitions, races, festivals and fireworks. This year’s Fourth of July is especially significant, marking the nation’s 250th birthday, Colorado’s 150th anniversary and CU Boulder’s 150th year.
Below, you’ll find our roundup of Fourth of July celebrations, plus more ideas for the weekend and several events to keep on your radar for next week.
See you out there,
McKenzie
Rosetta Hall is Boulder’s favorite food hall. With six kitchens, each featuring a different cuisine, two full-service bars, plenty of seating and community events happening all the time, there’s always a reason to visit. Bring your family, meet your friends and enjoy the vibe. Open daily at 11 a.m.
1. Downtown + NoBo First Friday Art Walks
Friday, July 3 • 4-9 p.m. • Downtown Boulder and the NoBo Art District
Why choose one when you can visit both? Start downtown with The New Local’s First Friday festivities, where galleries, shops and arts organizations host exhibitions, music and art activations along Pearl Street from 4-7 p.m. Then head to the NoBo Art District for open studios, local artists, food trucks and more during the NoBo First Friday Art Walk from 6-9 p.m.
2. Louisville Fourth of July Celebration
Saturday, July 4 • 6-10 p.m. • Coal Creek Golf Course (585 W Dillon Rd.)
The Louisville Fourth of July Celebration is one of the county’s biggest Independence Day events, with food trucks, bouncy houses and fireworks. Free shuttles from the Louisville Rec Center and Coal Creek Ace Hardware.
3. First Saturday Kaleidoscope Open House
Saturday, July 4 • 11 a.m.-3 p.m. • Kaleidoscope (209 E Simpson St.)
Join the artists at Kaleidoscope in Lafayette for an open house spread across five artist studios, a gallery, a magical underground portal and a radio station.
Fourth of July events in Boulder County: 14 ways to celebrate in 2026
From concerts and parades to pool parties and fireworks, here’s where to celebrate Independence Day around Boulder County. 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, July 2, 2-4 p.m.: Megan Gael McCarthy, Cyndy Hinkelman-Smith and Jacque Michelle Malik deliver an Artists Talk about their current exhibit, “What’s Going On?!?” at Cafe Aion.
- Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Catch the exhibition “Black Futures in Art: Genome Speaks What Erasure Cannot Silence” at the Collective Community Arts Center in Lafayette [free] [all ages]
- Sunday, July 5, 4-5 p.m.: Composition Shop in Longmont hosts an online Square State Book Club [virtual] [free] [adult-oriented]
- Monday, July 6, 1-3 p.m.: The Art of Modeling hosts a facilitated drop-in figure drawing session with a live model at the NoBo Art Center [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Tuesday, July 7, 6-7:30 p.m.: Kelly Smith teaches the first of a three-week series of embroidery workshops at the Broomfield Library. Registration required [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Wednesday, July 8, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Nick Ryan Gallery presents “Other Worlds: Trees, Flowers and Birds,” an exhibition of paintings by Claire McConaughy [free] [all ages]
Theater & Dance
- Thursday, July 2, 4:30-6:30 p.m.: The Dairy Center screens “I Love Boosters,” a Boots Riley film featuring Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, LaKeith Stanfield and others. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Friday, July 3, 7-9 p.m.: CenterStage Theatre Company presents the musical “Alice By Heart” at the Dairy Arts Center [ticketed] [all ages]
- Saturday, July 4, 5:30-7 p.m.: “The Python Hunt” captures an annual competition to rid the Everglades of invasive snakes, screened at the Dairy Center. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Sunday, July 5, 7:15-9 p.m.: World-folk-funk dance party with front range band Mystic Ramblers at the Junkyard Social Club [ticketed] [adults-only]
- Monday, July 6, 6:45-7:45 p.m.: Boulder Swing Dance teaches the Shim Sham in an intermediate Lindy Hop class at the Avalon [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Wednesday, July 8, 6-8 p.m.: Wednesday Night Square Dance takes over Rosalee’s Pizzeria in Longmont [free] [adult-oriented]
Music & Nightlife
- Thursday, July 2, 7 p.m.: Stone Cottage Studios organizes a singer-songwriter open mic showcase at the Yellow Barn Farm [free] [all ages]
- Friday, July 3, 6-8 p.m.: Mojazz plays First Friday at Abbott & Wallace Distilling in Longmont [free] [family-friendly]
- Saturday, July 4, 3-9:15 p.m.: Grunge in the Garten brings four bands and fireworks to the Festgarten at Wibby Brewing in Longmont [ticketed] [all ages]
- Sunday, July 5, 6-9 p.m.: Sunflower Club is an open mic night at the Coffee Stand that welcomes all forms of expression. [free] [adult-oriented]
- Monday, July 6, 6-9 p.m.: Your Stage at Bootstrap Brewing showcases six curated local acts in Longmont [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Wednesday, July 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Laurie & Lorrie play on the back patio at Trident Booksellers & Cafe [free] [family-friendly]
Food & Drink
- Thursday, July 2, 5 p.m.: The weekly Erie Farmers Market brings local produce and vendors to Erie [free] [family-friendly]
- Friday, July 3, 7-8 p.m.: Warm cups of cacao accompany participants through a sound bath and guided meditation in “Cacao & Sound” at Broomfield’s the Healing Studio [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Saturday, July 4, 2-3 p.m.: 300 Suns Brewing participates in Longmont’s 4th of July family festival with a full drink menu and modified food menu [ticketed] [family-friendly]
- Sunday, July 5, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.: Ozo Coffee hosts a barista class for those eager to dive into the world of espresso and milk steaming [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Wednesday, July 8, 3-10 p.m.: All bottles of wine are half price on Wednesdays at Longmont’s Red Cedar Bistro [adult-oriented]
Outdoors & Recreation
- Thursday, July 2, 7:30-9 p.m.: The weekly Boulder Cruiser Ride rolls out for a casual group bike ride [free] [all ages]
- Friday, July 3, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.: The free Eldo Hiker Shuttle ferries hikers from Boulder to Eldorado Canyon State Park [ticketed] [all ages]
- Saturday, July 4, 8 a.m.: Avery Brewing’s 17th Annual 4K on the 4th swaps the traditional 5K for a fun four-kilometer run, followed by Independence Day festivities at Avery Brewing. Registration closes July 3. [ticketed] [all ages]
- Sunday, July 5, 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: The Wheat Ridge Half Marathon and 5K begins and ends at Prost Brewing in Wheat Ridge [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Tuesday, July 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Sound Flow Yoga takes you into the indoor rainforest in the Butterfly Pavilion [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
- Wednesday, July 8, 12-1 p.m.: Wellness practitioners can meet their peers at Boulder Healing Hub’s Health and Wellness practitioner networking event [free] [adult-oriented]
Family & Community
- Thursday, July 2, 10:15-11 a.m.: Magic Dave hosts “The Great Dino Rodeo” for kids at Louisville’s Steinbaugh Pavilion [free] [family-friendly]
- Friday, July 3, 10:30-11 a.m.: Happy Day Plants hosts a free kids’ story time at the Longmont library [free] [family-friendly]
- Saturday, July 4, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.: Don a costume and participate in the historic photo booth at the Lafayette History Museum [free] [family-friendly]
- Sunday, July 5, 10:15-10:45 a.m.: Librarians host pop-up storytime on the lawn next to Ghost Box Pizza during the Lafayette Farmer’s Market [free] [family-friendly]
- Monday, July 6, 3-4 p.m.: A dino-themed “Minute to Win It” afternoon brings games to the Erie library. Registration is required [free] [family-friendly]
- Tuesday, July 7, 10:15-11 a.m.: Playground Theatre leads a free summer acting workshop for families at the Louisville library [free] [family-friendly]
- Wednesday, July 8, 5-6:30 p.m.: “Everybody 1-2-Switch!” is a teen gaming tournament on the Nintendo Switch, hosted at the Longmont library [free] [6th-12th graders]
Two Boulder writers named finalists for High Plains International Book Awards
Erika Krouse’s “Save Me, Stranger” is a finalist in Short Stories and Stephen Graham Jones’s “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” is a finalist in both the Fiction and Indigenous Writer categories. The High Plains International Book Awards celebrate literature rooted in the High Plains region, which spans Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and parts of Canada. Winners will be announced in October.
Looking to rent your home for Sundance? This webinar shows you how
Visit Boulder, Airbnb, Fox Property Management and the City of Boulder are hosting an informational webinar at 10 a.m. on July 9 about how to prepare your home and navigate the short-term festival rental process. The event comes as Boulder works to expand lodging options ahead of Sundance’s January debut after concerns that some early short-term rental listings, many priced at thousands of dollars per night, could push attendees to stay outside the city.
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.
