Jul 27th, 2010 by The Mayor
Check out my new article about the Gnarly Barley Brew Festival in Loveland, Colorado on August 7, 2010.
At the end of the article, leave a comment letting me know your favorite Colorado beer and you’ll be entered to win 2 free tickets to the event. The winner will be chosen at random on Monday, August 2, 2010.
Jul 23rd, 2010 by The Mayor
Photo from the City of Loveland online.
Loveland, Colorado has a lot to celebrate – most recently Money Magazine named it the 33rd best place to live in America, and in the not so distant past, AARP ranked Loveland as the #1 retirement town in America.
Loveland has a rich agricultural past, and the area is best known for the historic sugar beet industry. However, during the late 1920s, Loveland was home to the largest cherry orchard west of the Mississippi. A chain of unfortunate climatic events occurred and by the 1960s the cherry orchards had been decimated, never to return.
Every summer, the town honors its agricultural history by celebrating cherry pie. This year’s Cherry Pie Celebration will be held tomorrow, Saturday, July 24, at Peters Park next to the Loveland/Museum Gallery at 503 N. Lincoln.
Come early for a presentation on Loveland’s historic cherry industry being held at the Museum from 4 to 5 p.m. The celebration starts at 5 p.m. and includes cherry pie by the slice from Johnson’s Corner and ice cream from Penguins. There will also be free, live music, a cherry pie contest, art and more. Festivities will continue until 8 p.m.
For more information click here.
Jul 21st, 2010 by The Mayor
Burro Days, Fairplay, Colorado. (Photo from Burro Days on Facebook)
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A preview of the 62nd Annual Burro Days, this weekend in Fairplay, Colorado.
Jul 20th, 2010 by The Mayor
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As promised, I will be posting the occasional movie review.
Here’s my review of Leonardo DiCaprio’s new science fiction flick “Inception.”
Jul 19th, 2010 by The Mayor
No matter your musical tastes, Colorado has got you covered this weekend; from bluegrass to jazz, from country to reggae, there’s a little something for everyone. First up, the 38th Annual Rocky Grass in Lyons, July 23-25, 2010.
Rocky Grass Photo by Jennifer Schumacher. Photo from www.bluegrass.com/rockygrass/.
This festival is held at Planet Bluegrass Ranch, 500 W. Main, along the banks of the St. Vrain River, and features top-notch bluegrass acts. Doc Watson, Patty Loveless, and Tony Rice, along with dozens of other acts will hit the stage in this three-day festival.
Along with the music, Rocky Grass features workshops in the Wildflower Pavilion, as well as contests. Grownups spend their weekend listening to music and drinking beer, while the kiddos cool off in the river. Rocky Grass is touted as a festival for the entire family and camping is encouraged. For camping information and tickets, visit www.bluegrass.com/rockygrass.
Want to beat the summertime heat? Head to the mountains for the Winter Park Jazz Festival this Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, 2010. This is the 28th year for this famed Colorado festival that brings in regional and national recognized jazz acts.
In addition to such as musical acts as Chaka Khan, Hazel Miller, Craig Chaquico, Boney James and more, Winter Park will be filled to the brim with other festivities. There are merchandise and food vendors, beer garden and lots of fun for the whole family. Go to www.playwinterpark.com for all the details and tickets.
Collegiate Peak Music Festival. Photo from Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce Web site (www.buenavistacolorado.org).
Also located in the mountains is the Collegiate Peaks Music Festival (July 23-24, 2010). This is the 5th annual year for this growing music festival in scenic Buena Vista, Colorado. Headlining this year’s event is the funk band Fort Knox Five from Washington, D.C.
In the shadow of the Collegiate Peaks, at McPhelemy Park, the entire town gets out for this event featuring funk and reggae, dancing, vendors and more. At only $10 for the two-day festival you can afford to bring the kids and the dog. Learn more at www.collegiatepeaksmusicfestival.com or find them on Facebook and get ready to party Buena Vista style.
If country music is more your thing, than don’t fear, Cheyenne Frontier Days starts Friday. Held annually since 1897, this event claims to be one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world. Featuring a world-class rodeo and outstanding country music artists, if you have a hankering to dust off your cowboy hat, Cheyenne Frontier Days starts Friday (July 23) and last until August 1, 2010.
This year’s musical acts features country music legends Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and so many more. Although country is king at Frontier Days, this year’s event is being kicked off with an opening day appearance by the legendary rock-n-roll band KISS. For more information about Cheyenne Frontier Days visit www.cfdrodeo.com.
*Article also appearing in the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor.
Jul 16th, 2010 by The Mayor
Their tag line is “Dogs, Beer, Colorado, it doesn’t get much better.” And it really doesn’t get much more Coloradoan than dogs and beer.
“Brew Dogs of Colorado” is a beautiful and unique book featuring over 100 Colorado breweries, the brewers and their dogs. Over 200 color photographs introduce the reader to 70 Colorado brew dogs and their owners. Learn about the beer, the brewers and the dogs who inspire them.
With a forward by true beer man, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, it just doesn’t get more Colorado than “Brew Dogs of Colorado.”
Visit www.BrewDogsBook.com to learn more about how this book came to be, and to see some of the photographs.
Click on the logo above, or on the right hand side of this page, to order the book.
Jul 14th, 2010 by The Mayor
Wild Bill Hickok's head stone in Mount Moriah Cemetery, Deadwood, South Dakota. Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer
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Discover Deadwood, South Dakota and the surrounding Black Hills.
It’s not just for gamblers!
Jul 12th, 2010 by The Mayor
I promise you this: if you’ve enjoyed watching World Cup, you’ll enjoy Major League Soccer. I’ve been an avid Colorado Rapids fan for a while now. Some friends call it an addiction, but I call it thrilling entertainment (read the top 5 reasons I love soccer here).
Major League Soccer is exciting, fun and just out your front door. That’s right, and for my Northern Colorado based readers, it’s an easy jaunt to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. Take I25 south to 270 and you’re nearly there!
Opened in 2007, as the new home of the Colorado Rapids, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park stadium can accommodate a crowd of 26,000. In addition to the stadium, the 360-acre site features 24 soccer fields. Quite frankly, the complex rocks, but the Rapids provide the real action.
The Colorado Rapids’ squad includes two hometown boys, midfielder Colin Clark of Fort Collins and forward Conor Casey of Denver. There’s also the breathtaking speed of forward Omar Cummings of Jamaica, the solid leadership of Pablo Mastroeni, and the fearless defending of Marvell Wynne… truthfully, year’s entire squad is an exciting combination of guts, grace and speed.
The Rapids currently hold 4th place in the Western Conference with 6 wins, 4 losses and 4 ties. With 16 games left, they look good to make the playoffs this year.
The Colorado Rapids also have four very busy mascots who spend the entire match entertaining the kids (and me) with their silly antics. An evening of professional soccer is fun for young and old alike.
Want to check out the Colorado Rapids? Here is your chance. Just leave a comment letting me know that you were here and you’ll be entered to win 4 free tickets to any one remaining home game – it’s that simple! There are 9 games to choose from.
This Friday, July 16, 2010, I will pick a winner at random and contact them via email.
Good luck and go Rapids!
Jul 9th, 2010 by The Mayor
Originally published in the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor.
Turn back the clock and kick up your heels at the 40s Fly In this weekend at the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport. Our local airport has been chosen as one of 110 stops for the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour.
Collings Foundation works to preserve aviation history by touring the country with WWII aircraft. During this three-day event, the public can get up close and personal with three rare WWII era aircraft.
Photo courtesy of Collings Foundation.
First up, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine” WWW II heavy bomber. There are only nine of these bombers still in flying condition. Also flying in for the event, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator “Witchcraft” WWII heavy bomber and the Dual Control P-51 Mustang, both the sole remaining examples of their type of WWII aircraft.
From Friday through Sunday, the public will have the opportunity to visit, explore and learn about these aircraft and the rich American history they represent. Visitors can even go inside these planes to get and up-close and personal view of aviation history.
For an even more intimate, one-in-a-lifetime experience, visitors may of take a 30-minute flight aboard these rare aircraft. Flight experiences are a tax-deductible donation. The price to fly in the B-17 or B-24 is $425 per person. The P-51 flights are $2200 for 30 minutes or $3200 for a full hour. For reservations call (800) 568-8924.
Wings of Freedom ground tours and display hours are Friday, July 9, from 2 p.m. through 5 p.m., Saturday, July 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 11 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Adults are asked to donate a $12 entry fee. Thanks to a local benefactor, children 12 and under are free with a paying adult.
In addition to the planes, there will be airport open house on Saturday where area residents can learn about the importance of the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport to the local economy, the businesses its supports and the other vital uses of the airport including firefighting and patient transport. There will also be opportunities to meet with the local aviation community. The open house is a free event.
On Sunday, the local American Legion Riders will display 75 vintage motorcycles alongside the WWII aircraft. Parking at the airport is free and the motorcycle display is free, but a $12 donation is requested to participate in touring the aircrafts.
In addition to the Wings of Freedom Tour, on Friday evening the airport will play host to a ‘40’s USO-style Hanger Dinner and Dance. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. participants will be transported back in time with music provided by the Joe Peterson Dance orchestra, dinner and dancing.
The evening will also include local Northern Colorado veterans’ stories told by real storytellers. Patrons are encouraged to dress in ‘40’s costumes, military or civilian, and sport their dancing shoes. Learn more and purchase tickets at www.40sflyin.com.
The weekend event raises money for Collings Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1979, to support “living history” events that enable Americans to learn about their heritage through direct participation.
Originally focusing on car related events, during the mid-eighties the group broadened their reach to include aviation events such as air shows, barnstorming, historical reunions and joint museum displays. Since 1989, Collings Foundations major focus has been the Veterans’ “Wings of Freedom Tour.” Learn more about the foundation by visiting their Web site at www.collingsfoundation.org.
Heidi M. Kerr-Schlaefer is a contributing writer at the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor.
