There are a lot of ways to celebrate Colorado’s 150th birthday this weekend. Let’s start with the pancakes. From 9 a.m. until supplies run out, History Colorado will be serving up free flapjacks in Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District, across the street from the History Colorado Center. You’ll also find free museum entries, outdoor activities and two special exhibitions in the San Luis Valley.
July 30-Aug. 5
Statehood Day. The pancake breakfast is just the start of a daylong festival that includes a Colorado artisan market, a lowrider car show and a “Rocky Mountain High” singalong with Isaac Slade of The Fray.
All History Colorado museums will have free admission Saturday and many will offer special Colorado Day activities, like a scavenger hunt at the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose, lawn games at the Healy House in Leadville and gold-panning at the Georgetown Historic Loop and Railroad Park.
The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center will host a flag-raising by Buffalo Soldier re-enactors, a Buffalo Soldier presentation by Dennis Moore, and the unveiling of a reimagined state flag, handcrafted from reclaimed textiles by artist Chloé Duplessis, who will give an artist talk at 10 a.m.
The Breathing Healing bus by Control Group productions is making a two-day stop in Center on Friday and Saturday amid its statewide tour. The bus, along with a trailer and tipi, are part of a mobile exhibition that recognizes the joint country and state anniversaries from the Native perspective in Colorado. The exhibit is free and joins the town of Center’s Summer Bash in Casa Blanca Park on Saturday.
Perhaps the most Coloradan of all the celebrations is the statewide 14er Climb, led by the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission and the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry. The summiting initiative aims to get teams to the top of every 14er in the state, except those closed due to wildfire.
Free; Aug. 1; Various locations
Other events to consider
- Great Western Rocky Mountain Brass Band Festival. A three-day festival with a name about as long as the town is wide. It’s held in the Silverton school gymnasium. Free; July 31-Aug. 2; Silverton Public School Gymnasium, 1199 Reese St., Silverton
- Homegrown Colorado. A special Colorado-focused night market in Civic Center park, featuring more than 80 vendors slinging homegrown food, beverages and handmade wares, alongside nonprofit and community organizations. Free; 5-10 p.m., July 31; Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave., Denver
- Vail Dance Festival. Eleven days of ballet, jazz, modern and more at the annual Vail Dance Festival. Take a ballet master class, catch a free street performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, or enjoy a high-energy, mixed program for just $20.26. Various prices; July 31-Aug. 10; Various locations in Vail
Note: This is a curated list by the reporter to give readers a sense of arts and culture events happening across Colorado that they may not have otherwise known about. This is not meant to be an exhaustive account of things to do.