🎪 Boulder's aerial dance legacy + Sundance maps out its 2027 debut + 37 things to do

This week’s Culture Club is sponsored by Rosetta Hall. Explore six kitchens, two bars and a lively lineup of community events.

Hi there, Boulder — welcome back to Culture Club! It’s Thursday, July 30, and I’m McKenzie, here with your weekly guide to arts, culture and things to do across Boulder County.

This weekend, Boulder’s Aerial Dance Festival returns for its 28th year. We look at how Frequent Flyers helped launch a global movement and how aerial dance, circus and juggling have flourished here.

Plus, the Sundance Film Festival has released new details about the schedule, venues and programming for its 2027 Boulder debut.

And don’t miss our three weekend picks and 37 things to do. As always, you can submit an event or find more offerings on our community calendar.

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. Aerial Dance Festival Showcase Performances

Friday, July 31-Sunday, Aug. 2 • 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday • The Dairy Arts Center (2590 Walnut St.)

The 2026 Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Festival showcase brings together 11 acclaimed artists performing on lyra, slings, dance trapeze, loops, rope and harness, invented apparatus and more.

2. Boulder’s Big Hootenanny

Friday, July 31-Sunday, Aug. 2 • Noon each day • 1329 Gold Lake Road, Ward

Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Colorado Rockies, the Hootenanny is a three-day gathering of live music, mountain views, campfire jams and community. Proceeds benefit Conscious Alliance, a national nonprofit committed to ending hunger and strengthening communities.

3. Rum Runner: Port of Call 001

Sunday, Aug. 2 • 3-7 p.m. • Jungle (2018 10th St.)

Rum Runner hosts Port of Call 001, a party and fundraiser supporting Girls* Industry, a nonprofit focused on professional development. Partygoers can expect frozen drinks (spirited and non-spirited), burgers, island music, an above-ground pool with a swim-up bar and more.

Boulder’s Aerial Dance Festival helped launch a global movement. It returns for its 28th year.

Founded by Nancy Smith and Frequent Flyers in 1999, the Aerial Dance Festival now brings artists from across North America to Boulder for performances, workshops and intensive training. Continue reading…

Sundance reveals schedule and venue plans for 2027 Boulder debut

The announcement also introduces Boulder to longtime festivalgoers who may be unfamiliar with the city. For local residents, it offers another indication of how Sundance could affect lodging, transportation and daily life during its first year here. Continue reading…

Looking for more to do? Explore our community calendar for dozens more events happening around Boulder County. It’s free to browse and free to post. Many of the events featured in Culture Club come from the calendar, so be sure to add yours.

Visual Arts & Literature

Thursday, July 30, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art hosts its Summer Members Party. [free] [adult-oriented]
Friday, July 31, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: An evening of poetry and music celebrates 100 years of Allen Ginsberg, at the Boulder Bookstore. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Saturday, Aug. 1, 1-2:30 p.m.: Former Lafayette Poet Laureate ZBassSpeaks hosts an inventive haiku workshop for the See & Respond contest. [registration required] [ages 14 and up]
Sunday, Aug. 2, noon-1:30 p.m.: Sunday Crafternoon at the NoBo Library welcomes all ages and experience levels to come make some art. [free] [all ages]
Monday, Aug. 3, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is the featured book for this month’s Banned Books Club at the George Reynolds Library. [free] [all ages]
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m.: Tim Weed will speak about his new book, The Gatepost, at Boulder Bookstore. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2-4 p.m.: Leah Reddell leads a course on basic henna floral designs at the NoBo Library. [registration required] [adult-oriented]

Theater, Dance & Film

Thursday, July 30, 7-8:30 p.m.: The Dairy Arts Center presents “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World,” a documentary about poet Mary Oliver, followed by a talkback with Lafayette Poet Laureate Michele Battiste. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Friday, July 31, 7-9 p.m.: Superior’s Flipside Theatre presents a summer sketch show written and performed by the PiFFLE sketch team. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Saturday, Aug. 1, 2 p.m.-midnight: Local teachers offer free beginner Argentine tango classes at the Avalon, followed by a free gala with live music from Tangozo as part of Boulder Does Tango. [free] [adult-oriented]
Monday, Aug. 3, 5-6 p.m.: Kristen Helen Poppe teaches a drop-in Appalachian flatfooting class at the Secret Garden Studio. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m.: The Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema and Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance co-present Shared Terrain, an evening of elevated dance cinema at the Dairy Arts Center. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]

Music & Nightlife

Thursday, July 30, 7-9:30 p.m.: Expressive vocalist Halley Neal sings Fleetwood Mac at the Dickens Opera House in Longmont. [ticketed] [all ages]
Friday, July 31, 5:30-9:30 p.m.: Polyrhythmics, featuring Adryon de Leon, performs at the Downtown Louisville Street Faire. [free] [all ages]
Saturday, Aug. 1, 7-9 p.m.: Prairiewolf plays a free, intimate concert at Paradise Found. [free] [adult-oriented]
Sunday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.: Nik Parr & the Selfless Lovers play at the Velvet Elk. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Monday, Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m.: Cat Power plays hits from her milestone 2006 album, The Greatest, at Chautauqua Auditorium. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m.: The Danish String Quartet performs as part of the Colorado Music Festival at Chautauqua Auditorium. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 6-8:30 p.m.: Singer-songwriter Ella Blankenship plays at Trident Booksellers & Cafe. [free] [adult-oriented]

Food & Drink

Thursday, July 30, 4:45-8 p.m.: Learn how to cook Italian comforts, vegetarian style, with the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts at Caffe Sole. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Friday, July 31, 7-8 p.m.: Author Mark Easter reads from his book The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos, at Inkberry Books in Niwot. [free] [adult-oriented]
Saturday, Aug. 1, 4-7 p.m.: Boulder’s Mister Oso hosts a Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash with live music from Grateful Dead cover bands and food and drink deals. [free] [adult-oriented]
Sunday, Aug. 2, 4:30-6 p.m.: OZO Coffee Roasters West Pearl partners with Boulder Spanish to host an afternoon of Spanish conversation and games. [free] [adult-oriented]
Tuesday, Aug. 3, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.: Bottles of wine are 30% off all day long at Bucatino Trattoria Romana in Lafayette. [adult-oriented]
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 6-9 p.m.: GB Culinary Boutique Caterer & Farm plates Colorado-grown and raised produce and proteins for a Slow Food Boulder benefit dinner at Lyons Farmette. [ticketed] [all ages]

Many different species of birds nest at the Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, pictured here in April 2026. Credit: McKenzie Watson-Fore

Outdoors & Recreation

Thursday, July 30, 4-6 p.m.: The Boulder Chamber hosts a young professionals Disc Golf Throwdown. Register to receive the address. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Friday, July 31, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: Women’s Wilderness and The Watershed Center host a Watershed Science Hike in Button Rock Preserve. [free] [adult-oriented]
Saturday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: The Ollin Farms August Festival features free kids activities, hayrides, farm animals and a local artists’ market. [free] [family-friendly]
Sunday, Aug. 2, 1-3 p.m.: Join Lafayette Birds! at the Greenlee Wildlife Preserve at Waneka Lake to learn about local birds. [free] [all ages]
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Find relaxation and renewal in the Butterfly Pavilion’s indoor rainforest during immersive sound flow yoga. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 3-8:45 p.m.: Rekindle Sauna brings a mobile wood-fired sauna and cold plunge to A-Lodge Boulder. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]

Family & Community

Thursday, July 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Bring your well-behaved, leashed dog for this singles mixer for dogs and the people who love them at Avery Brewing, ages 30-55. [ticketed] [adult-oriented]
Friday, July 31, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.: All kids and teens who earned a sticker for completing four Lafayette Public Library summer reading program goals can visit the Great Outdoors Waterpark for free entry. [free] [family-friendly]
Saturday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.-noon: Nature Center Saturdays offers an educational workshop on insects, pollinators and plant partnerships. [ticketed] [family-friendly]
Sunday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: The Carousel of Happiness is hosting a two-day celebration of beloved local cartoonist George Blevins and his iconic comic strip, “Cabin Fever.” [free] [family-friendly]
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Sunflowers will be blooming during this easy summer hike at Chautauqua Park. [free] [all ages]
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Children of all ages can learn to cook at a Kids’ Cooking Class with Sister Carmen. [free] [family-friendly]

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.

🎪 Boulder’s aerial dance legacy + Sundance maps out its 2027 debut + 37 things to do