Cozy Up & Party Down Sweetheart Festival in Loveland, Colorado. Richard Haro, photographer, Visit Loveland (3)

Last year, I attended Sweetheart Festival on both days of the event. Both times I was so proud of what is on offer in my hometown of Loveland, Colorado. Sweetheart Festival is a spectacle for the eyes as well as the heart. And don’t forget the other senses; they are all engaged at this fiesta of love.  The heart of the festival is at The Foundry in downtown, a big

Not a Year in Review. Baby goat at AJ Farms in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. HeidiTown 3

I have not written a “year in review” post, and I’m not going to do it. Now that isn’t to say that there weren’t highlights. Most were animal-related. For instance, meeting kittens and puppies at Animal Aid of Colorado on assignment for Berthoud Weekly Surveyor. Meeting this cat in Chadron, Nebraska, outside the Bean Broker Coffee House and Pub. Meeting all the animals on the farm at AJ Farms 605

Featured Photo Colorado Uncorked preview on HeidiTown.com

Want to taste the best of the best Colorado wine? Get tickets to Colorado Uncorked at History Colorado on November 4, 2022. I got a sneak peek (or should I write, “sneak taste”) of the Colorado wines that were chosen to be in this collection of 12 wines. An esteemed 19-person panel made up of sommeliers, chefs, writers and wine experts from across the country picked these wines from 270

Downtown Beer Week, HeidiTown (101)

NOTE: This post will continually be updated as more Downtown Beer Week information is revealed. Keep checking in! Beer isn’t just a drink—it means a lot more to many of us—playing a big part in the story of our lives. For instance, during my college days, in the late 1990s, a lot of hours were spent with friends at Boundary Bay Brewing in Bellingham, Washington. As brewery lovers, Ryan and

Featured Festival Barbarian Feast 2022, There Will be Meat, HeidiTown.com, Photo by Jonathan Castner (4)

October 10, 2022: Tickets for the feast are officially SOLD OUT. It is time—time to eat with your hands and a knife, dress in furs and embrace your inner barbarian. Since 2017, the Barbarian Feast, a beer dinner like no other, is a hot ticket, selling out each year. I am married to the man (Ryan Schlaefer) who thought up the Barbarian Feast. It had been in his mind for

Featured Festival Loveland Oktoberfest 2022 HeidiTown (100)

It’s Loveland Oktoberfest at Fairgrounds Park, a time to celebrate the end of summer with good friends, a few pints and a little polka. September 16-17 Friday (4 p.m. to 10 p.m.) & Saturday (12 p.m. to 10 p.m.)  Fairgrounds Park 700 S Railroad Avenue, Loveland, Colorado FREE EVENT OktoberfestLoveland.org Loveland Oktoberfest on Facebook Each year, this event gets a little better, and this September is no exception. Loveland is

Puppy Mill Awareness Day Logo 2 2022

If you’ve been a citizen of HeidiTown for any length of time, you know that I love dogs. There is something about a dog that brings out the best in me, in fact, all animals have a positive effect on me, but especially dogs.  I believe that we have a responsibility to ensure the best life for dogs. However, the mass breeding industry that produces puppies at a startling rate

Where to Stay in Vail, Colorado Manor Vail Lodge. HeidiTown (10)

We were in Vail to eat and drink. We were attending Taste of Vail, an event that I love. Manor Vail Lodge had offered to host me, so we were all set for this three-night eating and drinking extravaganza. Little did we know, Manor Vail Lodge will feed you too (and feed you really, really well). Location of Manor Vail Lodge Arriving on a Thursday, we settled in and then

The Craziest Winter Sport in Colorado: Skijoring

kijorkijorUpdated: 12-27-22 There is nothing more beautiful than watching a horse gallop with a rider magically floating in the saddle. And we’ve watched a lot of good skiers lately, on the televised Olympics in 2022. The way they seem to fly down a mountain barely touching the snow – it’s exhilarating. Now combine those things. Magic + Exhilaration = A Really Good Time Skijoring (or ski joring) is the act

What the World Needs Now Sweetheart Festival, Loveland, Colorado 2

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” -Hal David, 1965 After the last couple of years, we could use a festival dedicated to love. That’s what the Sweetheart Festival is all about. I am excited about the event. Not only is it here in my town of Loveland, but it’s also something for me to anxiously anticipate, and I love anticipation.  Love is defined as “an intense feeling