Creek at the Peak Rafting Festival
The Creek at the Peak raft and kayak race takes place on June 23rd, 2012 and provides a great opportunity to watch rafters and kayakers compete for prizes while supporting a great cause. Come check out the race and the after race festival in Idaho Springs on Saturday June 23rd. The festival takes place on the east side of the Springs at the ball fields. The race finishes just west of Idaho Springs and begins in Lawson.
The festival begins at noon and will feature live music, food from local restaurants, and Idaho Springs' famous Tommyknocker beer!
When: Saturday June 23rd, 2012.
The festival begins around noon and continues through the evening.
The races begin at 5pm and will probably finish around 7:30pm.
Where: Idaho Springs at the ball fields on the east side of town.
For all the details, check the Creek at the Peak site: 
Snowmass Summer Concerts
On summer Thursdays and Fridays the laid back atmosphere of Snowmass Colorado comes alive with their free Snowmass Village Summer Concerts. The music, set up on a Snowmass ski run stage near the upper village, is loud and wild.
When:
Summer Thursdays (and sometimes Fridays) from 6:15 to 8:30pm.
Where:
Snowmass upper village.
Schedule:
The 2013 Snowmass Village Free Summer Concert schedule is as follows:
June 20: Freddy Jones
June 27: The Dunwells
Friday July 5: CJ Chenier
July 11: The Revivalists
July 18: Mountain Standard Time
July 25: J.Boog
August 1: Tab Benoit
August 8: Nigel Hall
August 15: Robert Walters
More Info from the Aspen Snowmass web site:
Denver Mountain Parks (always free)
The city of Denver operates a series of beautiful and diverse parks in the foothills areas west and south of Golden.
Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland (Annually in March)
2014's Frozen Dead Guy Days will be celebrated March 7 through March 9. The highlight of the event is really the Polar Plunge, where anyone can sign up to take a dive in a freezing pond. Some people do it for the thrill, some do it to raise money for charities, and some are just plain nuts. There is also a coffin race, hearse parade, music, and many other bizarre activities (frozen turkey bowling???). This is one of the most popular things to do in March for front range residents with cabin fever.
This is probably the wierdest festival I've ever heard of, even wierder than Manitou's fruitcake toss or Leadville's ski Joring. Come and learn about the history of the frozen dead guy and observe some of Nederland's finest citizens enjoying a day in the mountains.
Traffic can become a real problem for the small town so plan accordingly. Parking is available on the side streets but getting to them can take a while.
When:
March 7 - 9, 2014
Where:
The event is held in Nederland, Colorado (at the top of Boulder Canyon west of Boulder).
As more people down in town learn about this festival every year, it has grown from a small event for members of the mountain community to a really crowded winter festival for everyone in the front range. If the crowds don't bother you, come check it out:
Frozen Dead Guy Days Nederland Chamber web site:
If you want to learn more before you commit to a trip to the mountains, read all about the frozen dead guy here:
Frozen Dead Guy Days Wiki:
Denver Center for the Performing Arts ($10 tickets)
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts offers a limited number of $10 tickets, every Tuesday morning, for shows coming later in the week.
Punkin Chunkin Colorado | Aurora Jack-O-Launch (annually, 2nd Saturday in October)
This October festival has become a Denver tradition.
Evergreen Chamber Orchestra (Saturday February 2)
The Evergreen Chamber Orchestra will have a free performance on Saturday Feb. 2, 2013, 7pm at Evergreen High School. Talented students from area schools will participate with the Evergreen Orchestra in this free concert.
The Evergreen Chamber Orchestra Web Site:
http://www.evergreenchamberorch.org/
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Half Fast Subs (Boulder)
Half Fast Subs in Boulder has one of the largest menu choices I've ever seen at a restaurant. The hardest thing to do at this place it to make a decision between the hot subs, cold subs, veggie subs and even salads. Whatever you chose, you won't be disappointed.
Boulder History Museum (free first Sunday monthly)
The Boulder History Museum offers free admission on the first Sunday of every month. This is a great deal and a chance for the rest of us to check out the museum's permanent displays, changing exhibits, and kids activities.
Patsy's Candies Tour in Colorado Springs (always free)
Patsy's Candies in Colorado Springs takes the making of chocolate candy to a whole new level. Free tours of their factory demonstrate the handcrafted nature of Patsy's Candies and highlight the artisanship present in their high quality candies.
Peterson Air & Space Museum, Colorado Springs (always free)
The Peterson Air and Space Museum has one of the better displays of vintage and historic military aircraft in the western United States.
Leanin' Tree Museum, Boulder (always free)
Over the years Ed Trumble has assembled what is likely one of the finest collections of western art in America. His collection is housed in the Leanin' Tree Museum and Sculpture Garden of Western Art in Boulder, Colorado.
The free Leanin' Tree Art Museum is one of the best museum values in Colorado. The exhibits are truly amazing and represent many decades and styles of western American art. The museum contains over 250 paintings and 150 sculptures.
Hours:
Monday - Friday 8am to 5 pm.
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays 10am to 5pm.
Closed Easter, July 4, Christmas Day, New Years Day.
Location:
6055 Longbow Drive, Boulder Colorado, 80301.
Located near the free Celestial Seasonings Tour.
Check the Leanin' Tree Museum site for the latest info:
Euclid Hall Denver Happy Hour (Downtown Denver)
OK, I normally make it a policy to only check out Denver happy hours that have food specials with drink specials. However, when I saw that that 5280 had deemed Euclid Hall the best Denver happy hour, I had to check it out for myself. I went in skeptical, and came out satisfied and stuffed.
Colorado Ski Museum & Snowboard Museum at Vail (always free)
The Colorado Ski Museum & Snowboard Museum in Vail Village celebrates Colorado's rich ski history with a huge collection of artifacts and exhibits covering the whole of ski and snowboard history in Colorado.