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SummerFest on the Rio | June 1–3
This weekend-long festival of the San Luis Valley’s arts and crafts community kicks off with a concert in Alamosa’s Cole Park accompanied by food vendors and a beer garden on Friday night. The family-friendly event will have nearly all-day live music on Saturday and Sunday, as well as the 6th Annual SummerFest Poker Run (which benefits the Valley Humane League). Other activities include water hamster balls (here’s a visual), a bungee trampoline, bounce house, and maze.
Golden Farmers Market | Every Saturday
Starting June 2, the Golden Farmers Market will once again offer fresh produce, prepared cuisine, and beverages to locals as a means of supporting the community, city, and a healthy lifestyle. As of 2017, the market accepts Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits (SNAP) and Double Up Food Bucks to better serve community members who are struggling to afford healthy food. When SNAP participants spent $1 on any eligible item—meat, bread, eggs, and dairy—they get $1 to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables. The market starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m.
Rocky Mountain Pet Expo | June 2
Dog? Cat? Pig? Alpaca? Whoever your furry friend is, bring them to the Rocky Mountain Pet Expo at the National Western Complex in Denver. Widely known for the popular Pet Fashion Show, the expo will feature groomers, massage therapists, pet care products, food & treat manufacturers, and the Cutest Pet Contest. Pet waivers and registration is required.
Create Art In Plein Air | June 3–10
The Boulder Plein Air Festival will transform you from a novice painter into a regular Pablo Picasso. The weeklong art festival takes place all over Boulder—from Columbia Cemetery to Blue Cloud Farms—ending at the Rembrandt Yard Gallery. Public “paint outs” will take place at each location, allowing artists to recreate the landscape in front of them. Registration is required.
Dance Like No One’s Watching | June 15–17
The 2018 Boulder International Festival offers the opportunity for anyone to learn folk dances, waltz, salsa, Zumba, and more. More than 40 dance groups will perform and teach dance starting Friday evening along Pearl Street in Boulder.
Show Your Colors | June 17
Denver PrideFest is back this year with the Coors Light PrideFest Parade, the Pride 5k, a movie screening of Pride, and the inaugural Trash Fashion Show in downtown Denver. The festival honors the lives and achievements of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Colorado. PrideFest events will take place throughout June, leading up to the parade on June 17.
Sakura Matsuri | June 23–24
Meaning cherry blossom festival in Japanese, the 46th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese heritage and culture at Sakura Square and the Denver Buddhist Temple in downtown Denver. Floral, bonsai, and Japanese calligraphy will take place at the Temple while vendors sell jewelry, food, and crafts in the marketplace next door. Japanese dance and martial arts performances will take place on the outdoor stage in the center of the festival.
